The top management of FIA and Formula 1 is reflecting on the next steps to be implemented with the 2026 regulations based on the lessons learned with the recent 2022 rules. Active suspension has been proposed by some insiders as a possible solution to control the aerodynamics of the next generation of single-seaters, for which it will be essential to fight drag in order to complete the race distance with around 70 kg of fuel as compared to the current 100 kg.
In a recent interview, FIA technical director Nikolas Tombazis rejected this possibility, but this does not exclude that the suspension could be the subject of other innovations.
Pat Symonds, Technical Director of Formula 1, spoke about it recently in an interview with the editors of Auto Motor und Sport. The 2022 regulations have led to a profound simplification of the suspension system, banning gas springs and hydraulically adjustable dampers, helping to slow down the single-seaters when cornering, especially at low speeds.
Pat Symonds is among those who support a return to gas suspension starting with the 2026 championship:
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“That is a sore point for me,” said Pat Symonds of the return to classic suspensions. “I didn’t agree with the return of classic suspensions at the time. Gas springs would be ideal for these cars. The problem with these cars is that they are not very good in slow corners. First of all, the weight slows them down, and then they have much too hard suspension. There is not much we can do about the weight. With gas springs, we could drive much softer at low speeds. I would go back to a different type of suspension in 2026. Although I am a fan of active suspension, a passive suspension with hydraulically controlled gas springs would do. To introduce it before then would be difficult because of the cost factor.”
The suspension goes hand in hand with the structure of the tyres. 2022 saw the debut of the new Pirelli tyres, a choice wanted by the F1 management to facilitate the aerodynamic management of turbulence, one of the main factors that amplify the differences between the top teams and teams with limited resources: “We have given Pirelli some assignments. The new tyre profile was not a purely aesthetic choice. Our goal was to influence the aerodynamics. The turbulence around the wheels is the hardest to control as the tire deforms as it rotates, it does 75% of the work. Our opinion was that the top teams, with their big design departments, would have a big advantage over the smaller ones, so we wanted a stiffer tire to reduce deformation.”
The low-profile tires could therefore also be confirmed in 2026, but aerodynamic considerations will have to go hand in hand with attention to weight, which will have to go down with the next generation of single-seaters. In fact, the transition to 18-inch tyres in 2022 alone resulted in an increase of about 3 kg per wheel, a factor that will be taken into consideration when drafting the new regulations.
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