F1 2026 aerodynamics: the FIA’s inwash concept and the end of traditional outwash

For F1 2026, the FIA has designed a technical regulation aimed at eliminating outwash. We are talking about an effect that was responsible for managing the turbulent wake generated by the rotation of the tyres, while also preventing the airflow from infiltrating the floor. For this reason, engineers will still try to reproduce it, even if in a different way. Let us try to understand how things are changing.

F1 2026, why the FIA wants narrower front wings

In 2026, front wings will be very different. In addition to the introduction of active aerodynamics, they will also change significantly from a geometric point of view, with the most important modification concerning their width, for a very clear technical reason. The cars will be 10 cm narrower and, regardless of everything else, the wings will also be less wide. Currently, the volume available to design the endplate is positioned 50 millimetres further inboard compared to the outer shoulder of the tyre.

This aspect forces engineers to make a decision that now seems clearly defined. Those who read us regularly know very well how important the outwash effect is, a decisive factor in moving the turbulent wake generated by the front tyre. This is precisely the element that the FIA is trying to fight, because a higher degree of outwash leaves a larger and more harmful wake behind the single-seater.

In other words, to be as clear as possible: a Formula 1 car following another car is hit by a mass of turbulent airflow, an “aerodynamic situation” that disrupts the entire aerodynamic package. Cars are not designed to run in such conditions. In recent years, many studies have been carried out to understand how to eliminate this effect.

However, it is extremely difficult to model the turbulent wake accurately and, as a consequence, to find solutions that actually improve the situation. At the same time, a new element will be introduced, namely the footplate. Between the inner and outer wheel line there will be a volume dedicated to the design of a sort of horizontal floor element that will act as a flow deflector. This component is clearly visible in the image below.

F1 2026: the new inwash philosophy, the footplate and the diveplane

For this reason, the FIA has introduced this restriction on the front wing, which automatically forces teams to adopt an inboard, or almost inboard, philosophy. A bit like the cars of the 2000s, specifically those from 2006, 2007 and 2008. This means that the front endplate will no longer have a curved profile that pushes the airflow outwards, therefore directing the airflow mass towards the inside of the car.

In this way, outwash is significantly reduced and teams lose the traditional way of managing the turbulent wake generated by the rotating front tyre, which produces a highly chaotic flow field. The challenge for engineers is to understand how to recover that effect and regain performance, which in itself is expected to drop by around 3% on the 2026 F1 cars. A large mass of dirty airflow will no longer be pushed away from the car and will instead continue along its path.

This airflow will then impact the rear aerodynamics, causing a significant loss of downforce. This happens because such turbulence enters the floor and, in general terms, reduces the accuracy of airflow management. From an aerodynamic standpoint, there are still solutions to try to achieve a similar effect. First of all, a vortex will still detach from the endplate, and this can be managed downstream of the tyre through the “bargeboard”.

The role of this element will be to divert the airflow mass outwards and, above all, to manage “strategic” vortices that can increase the outwash effect. Moving turbulence means reducing the complexity of the problem. At the same time, the footplate will partially take on the task of creating the classic outwash effect, or something very close to it. Its role will be explained in detail in a separate analysis.

Confirmation from Cadillac

Further confirmation of what has been discussed comes from the eleventh team on the grid. Cadillac accidentally leaked what appears to be a front wing model intended for wind tunnel testing. We are not talking about the final component coming from the production department, but about a part used exclusively for wind tunnel tests in order to gather all the aerodynamic data on the car.

The image confirms what had been suspected for a long time, even though some doubts remained regarding the endplate philosophy. In addition to this, we can also notice that their model features a horizontal appendage mounted on the outer side of the endplate. According to the regulations, this element is called a “diveplane” and, in this case as well, it represents a completely new component.