Despite the 2025 Formula 1 season just starting, the focus is already on next year. 2026 will be the year of the debut of the new technical regulations in F1, but a surprising possibility of a delay has emerged from Australia.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Carlo Vanzini, a well-known Sky Sport commentator, shared a rumor that, if confirmed, would be a major bombshell. “There are whispers that the 2026 rules might be delayed because the new cars designed by the Federation seem to be quite complicated. For now, it’s all under the radar, but it seems there’s an idea to delay it by a year to have more time to study engines with eco-friendly fuels but without the electric part.”
“There are people pushing this idea, but there are others who are very keen on ensuring the new regulations debut in 2026. If it’s true that Mercedes is very advanced with the new engine, of course, they’ll want to move forward with the new project,” Carlo Vanzini added. “But for now, it remains just a rumor.”
But is it really possible?
Let’s be clear. With just nine months until 2026, such a reversal seems unlikely. Teams typically start working well in advance on new regulations, and any delay at this point would require a complete reorganization of their work schedule.
Furthermore, 2026 will see the arrival of new engine suppliers who have been working on the Power Units that will debut with the new cars. A possible delay of the technical regulations would create problems, especially for companies like Audi or Ford, which would effectively have to find suppliers only for the following year.
The similarities with 2021
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Reading the news, many might think of the similarities with what happened a few years ago. The previous regulatory cycle was originally supposed to debut in 2021 but was later postponed to 2022. In that case, however, the outbreak of the Covid pandemic forced teams and factories to stay home for several months, making it effectively impossible to work on the projects.
So, trying to sum things up, it seems highly unlikely that such a modification will be approved. But in recent years, Formula 1 has taught us to never say never.
Source: f1ingenerale
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