Formula 1 is currently working on an idea to introduce active aerodynamics in the technical rules and regulations starting with the 2026 championship. The plan is to further compensate for the downforce lost by cars when running behind another car with the goal of improving the overall following performance and therefore leading to more overtaking moves and on-track actions.
Alongside efficiency, active aerodynamics are also being evaluated as a strong possibility to improve competition during Grand Prix weekends and avoid seeing races in which one driver completely dominates the event. The most recent big change in terms of Formula One technical regulations took place last season, with the introduction of a new generation of F1 cars based on the ground-effect concept, which were designed to limit the lost downforce when cars were running behind each other. And the result was largely appreciated by the drivers.
Formula 1 chief technical officer Pat Symonds, in an interview at Autosport International a few days ago, confirmed that the 2026 F1 challengers would be “even better than the ’22 cars”:
“We won’t lose DRS, because there’s totally active aerodynamics on the ’26 car,” the British motor racing engineer explained, as reported by Motorsport.com – “DRS is drag reduction. What I’ve always felt we should do is have downforce augmentation. Because what does the car behind do? Yes, it loses some drag, but what really holds it is the fact it lost downforce. Our idea now is to augment the downforce back to where it should have been if the leading car wasn’t there. Everyone talks about overtaking, but for us, overtaking was the end of the battle. It’s the battle that’s interesting, it’s the unpredictability – is he going to get past? And I know a lot of people criticise DRS, and that was the trouble with DRS, it can make a pass too easy.” – the former Benetton, Renault and Virgin engineer added.
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Pat Symonds also confirmed that his team of technicians began working from a blank canvas in an attempt to find and evaluate several radical avenues, but he admitted that the 2026 car would be “quite conventional. We actually went right back to a skirted ground effect car to get some kind of idea where the ultimate was. We looked at fan cars, all sorts of weird things. But the ’26 car will be quite conventional, because that’s the way we want it to be.” – the Formula 1 chief technical officer concluded.
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