The FIA has effectively decided to eliminate ground effect. The 2026 F1 regulations go against the trend of the cars competing in the 2024 championship under rules introduced in 2022. The draft regulations, published by the International Federation on the eve of the Canadian GP, refer to the aim of reducing aerodynamic downforce by about 30% and cutting drag by as much as 55%.
These significant numbers are set to change the technical approach to the new “agile” cars: much has been said and written about the dimensions (200 mm shorter wheelbase and 100 mm narrower width) and the weight reduction target of 30 kg. However, the rendering released in Montreal by the technical staff led by Nikolas Tombazis did not make the full scope of the measures clear.
It was generally discussed that there would be a return to a flat floor and a significant reduction in the rear diffuser to decrease downforce. However, Giorgio Piola’s drawings have the power to clarify the concept that the FIA intends to implement: in the F1 cars that will begin development from January 1, 2025 (until that date, any wind tunnel studies are prohibited by the regulations, but nothing prevents conducting thorough preliminary analyses with CFD), the Venturi channels will disappear, as well as the flow diverters and vortex generators that aim to push air to the outside of the rear wheels, energizing the low-pressure area that extends from the center of the car to the rear.
In fact, this represents a complete reversal of the current regulations, as the rear diffuser will also have significantly less capacity, moving back closer to the 2017 car standards.
It’s no surprise to hear complaints from people like Andrea Stella, McLaren’s team principal, who emphasized that F1 cars will be too slow in corners and too fast on straights. The FIA’s focus has been on reducing drag to compensate for the new power unit’s inability to provide the necessary hybrid energy throughout an entire lap.
The legislator has introduced rules that proportionally reduce electric power as speed increases, hoping to regulate the delivery of the available 350 kW. However, there are serious doubts that the resulting performance will be closer to current F2 cars than F1.
Tombazis, aware of the problem, hopes that with the collaboration of the ten teams, engine manufacturers, and the promoter, solutions can be devised to address the issues even after June 28, when the FIA World Council is expected to ratify the proposals.
The first logical step would be to break an overly ideological and dogmatic element: allocating 50% of the power from the internal combustion engine and the remaining 50% from the hybrid. The idea is to lean towards a slight predominance of the ICE by increasing the availability of e-fuels.
However, it’s increasingly clear that aerodynamic adjustments will be necessary to facilitate good cornering speed at the expense of some top speed. To allow the 2026 cars to follow each other closely, the shapes are designed not to generate vortices: for example, the front wing will be 1,900 mm (100 mm less than now).
The benefit will be that minor contacts won’t cause significant damage because the side winglets won’t reach the tire width. The downside is that the wing will have limited capacity to generate downforce: today there is the main profile plus three flaps, while in 2026, the total elements will be only three, defined in a much more restricted volume. Additionally, with X Mode, the two upper profiles, which will be movable, can be further unloaded whenever the front wheels are straight.
The side panel, designed with a spoon-shaped outer part, aims to eliminate the outwash effect, which was limited on the ground effect cars at the beginning of 2022 and has been increasingly exaggerated with today’s front wings.
To find an analogy between the proposed 2026 solutions and past designs, one cannot forget the front wing of the 2006 McLaren MP4-21, which had similar concepts. Despite being driven by Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya, it wasn’t very successful at the time.
It’s easy to think that the actual cars racing in two years will be the result of significant changes that still need to be discussed…
