The focus of the new F1 2026 regulations presented in preview during the Canadian GP weekend is related to power units. The engines will undergo the biggest changes and will have different characteristics that will also affect the performance of the cars. The main goal of the new regulations has always been to attract new car manufacturers, previously deterred by the complexity and costs of current power units. Closely linked to the features of the new power units are the changes related to the cars, which will be shorter, narrower, and about 30 kg lighter. Active aerodynamics will also be introduced to compensate for the loss of cornering ability due to the lower aerodynamic load.
FIA Single Seater Technical Director, Nikolas Tombazis, explained on the “Beyond the Grid” podcast why it was necessary to introduce new regulations regarding chassis that take into account the characteristics of the new power units: “We need cars with less drag, less aerodynamic resistance, and that’s what these technical regulations have done. The current generation cars have slightly too high aerodynamic drag and would therefore experience a certain drop in speed towards the end of the straights. We believe we have solved this problem for the new cars.”
More powerful engines and farewell to the MGU-H
The total power provided by the 2026 engines should be higher than the current one, although with different characteristics of the power unit: “The power delivered will actually be a bit higher than where we are now, approximately there will be an increase of about 100 horsepower. The engine will have much lower power regarding internal combustion: we will drop from about 550 to about 400 kilowatts (from about 750 hp to about 550), while the electric part will increase significantly, going from 120 to 350 kilowatts (from about 160 hp to about 475). So we will have an almost 50/50 ratio between internal combustion engine power and electric energy. This is a fundamental difference and, in this process, we have removed the MGU-H, which is the device that converts part of the exhaust energy into electric energy.”
This rethink of the power units and the removal of the MGU-H were designed to make hybrid engines simpler, with the intent—apparently successful—of attracting new manufacturers: “We did this mainly for simplicity and to reduce some of the complexity of the engines. We wanted this to ensure we could attract newcomers to the sport, which I think has been quite successful,” confirmed Nikolas Tombazis with satisfaction. The reference is to the expected entries of Audi and Ford (the latter with Red Bull Technology) in 2026 and the announced entry of General Motors in 2028, as explained by the Italian website formu1a.uno.
Another novelty related to the F1 2026 engines that the FIA has focused on is sustainable fuels. Nikolas Tombazis added: “This is an important step. In 2026 the fuel will be completely sustainable, which, as I said before, is one of the big steps towards sustainability, although it is by no means the definitive step.”
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