The FIA has introduced a very bold technical regulation package for F1 2026, featuring a series of major changes. When it comes to the floor of the cars, the main objective is to eliminate turbulent wake. This will be achieved through several measures that effectively reduce dimensions and limit the load generated by the floor in all areas. Through this analysis, we try to understand what is changing and how.
F1 2026: next-generation cars will continue to use ground effect
It is often said and written that from 2026 onward ground effect will disappear, what in Formula 1 jargon is known as “ground effect.” First of all, it must be stated clearly that this claim is completely incorrect. The next-generation cars will continue to use the floor to generate significant downforce, although it will obviously be less dominant compared to the current wing cars. Let’s clarify this point.
In percentage terms, the distribution of downforce generated by the car will no longer be overwhelmingly biased toward the floor compared to the wings, even though it will still remain high. The same applies to the diffuser, which will continue to exist, although its effectiveness will no longer be as decisive as before. We are talking about the same aerodynamic concepts, whose impact the FIA has decided to modify for technical reasons.
Having clarified this aspect, as always it is the details that make the difference. For this reason, after extensive studies aimed at avoiding another failure, the FIA has introduced regulations designed to minimize the problems caused by turbulent wakes. These issues were supposed to disappear with the introduction of wing cars, but instead they continued to occur throughout the previous regulatory era.
F1 2026: limited vortices at the floor inlet, with a floor edge that cannot be developed
As we know, the dimensions of the 2026 F1 cars are changing. The floor is also being modified, with a reduced overall length, considering that the distance between the front and rear axles is shortened by 200 mm. A reduction of this kind inevitably means fewer opportunities to generate downforce. Starting from the front area, the first noticeable detail concerns the so-called “fences” at the floor inlet.
Compared to 2022, the outermost fence now features an essentially opposite configuration, while the inner ones, which increase from three to five, are significantly smaller, shorter, and lower. This solution has been designed to minimize the outwash effect, which, while playing a decisive role in cleaning the lateral area of the floor by pushing airflow outward, also generated an extremely intense turbulent wake.
The previous appendages on wing cars were crucial for generating vertical load on the floor. They produced vortices that further lowered the local pressure downstream. With these elements now reduced, their effect will be correspondingly smaller, although still present. The goal of the rule-makers is to replicate lateral expansion as much as possible without allowing excessive vortex strength.
This situation previously compromised the performance of the following car. In practical terms, all the chaotic movements of the airflow generated by the rolling tires will now remain “contained within the car,” negatively affecting its own aerodynamic package, while at the same time avoiding a reduction in downforce for the car behind. Then there is the lateral section of the floor, known up to 2025 as the floor edge.
In this area, the FIA has been even more restrictive, as any intervention along the so-called “sharp edge” is forbidden. This zone must remain linear, with no cuts, slots, or vortex generators allowed. It remains to be seen whether engineers will find alternative solutions or whether the rules will be revised, as this part of the car has traditionally been used to seal the floor and clean the airflow directed toward the diffuser.
F1 2026: the diffuser loses downforce between the ramp and kick zone
Moving toward the rear of the F1 cars, we reach the section of the floor located ahead of the rear wheels. In this case, the technical group led by Nikolas Tombazis has been more generous, allowing teams to work on this area of the car. This zone will accommodate some small elements that remain highly useful for purely aerodynamic purposes.
Slots and cuts will be permitted to minimize losses generated upstream and then directed toward the diffuser region. Given the nature of the area being analyzed, it is clear that one of the engineers’ objectives will be to generate specific vortex structures aimed at increasing load on the floor. Teams that execute this concept better than their rivals could gain a significant advantage.
Finally, we arrive at the diffuser. Here too, the overall dimensions have been reduced to limit airflow expansion. It is well known that smaller diffuser dimensions inevitably reduce aerodynamic load generation. Lower and shorter, this component will at least allow the installation of a vertical blade-like element to help expand the airflow.
F1 2026: less spray in wet conditions and the end of bouncing
In conclusion, it is clear that the FIA has worked extensively to eliminate turbulent wake. For this reason, compared to the wing car era, the 2026 floor will not be able to generate as much energy to feed into the diffuser. Overall performance will therefore be lower, but as stated at the beginning, the floor will remain a crucial element for generating downforce and pushing the car toward the reference plane, the asphalt.
Do things improve in wet conditions? The answer is yes. Considering everything discussed above, the spray cloud generated will be less intense, providing improved visibility. This does not mean it will disappear entirely, however. The same applies to bouncing, which should disappear or be almost completely eliminated, given that the low pressure beneath the car will be significantly reduced.
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