Significant progress has been made regarding the 2026 regulations. This was explained by Nikolas Tombazis, the director of the FIA’s single-seater department, in an interview with FormulaPassion.it. Ground effect will continue to be the core concept for the upcoming Formula 1 cars, which will be aerodynamically more efficient than the current ones. Weight and dimensions are set to decrease, aligning with fans’ requests, while active aerodynamics remains under discussion.
The Weight Issue
One of the main criticisms from drivers about current Formula 1 cars is their excessive weight, making them challenging to handle in low-speed corners. Over the last two decades, Formula 1 cars have gained approximately 200 kilograms, with around 80-100 kg coming from hybrid power units, 50 kg from safety measures like the halo and zylon side panels, 30 kg from increased dimensions, and 20 kg due to general complexity. Many have expressed concerns about the 2026 regulations, which stipulate an increased minimum weight for power units by another 34 kg, primarily due to the battery.
Without countermeasures, 2026 Formula 1 cars could weigh up to 100 kg more than the 2018 minimum weight. Weight reduction is a top priority for the FIA in the upcoming regulations, as Nikolas Tombazis reveals: “We will have smaller cars, both in width and length, with narrower tires. This will also help reduce aerodynamic drag. After that, we are evaluating what the right load is. We’re putting the car on a diet. Despite the increased battery capacity and thus the extra weight of the power units in 2026, we estimate that the overall minimum weight could drop by around 50 kilograms.” The task is challenging, but the FIA has already demonstrated with the new Formula 2 that it can combat weight gain despite enhanced safety measures. If the FIA’s predictions hold true, 2026 Formula 1 cars could weigh around 750 kg in qualifying conditions.
Smaller Dimensions
The weight reduction will begin with shortening and narrowing the car, resulting in downsized tires. With a smaller floor area available, aerodynamic downforce and grip will inevitably decrease. However, the weight reduction will prevent a drastic increase in lap times. Smaller cars also lead to reduced aerodynamic resistance, thanks to both the narrower front section and decreased aerodynamic load. “We will undoubtedly have low aerodynamic drag on the straight. They will be much more aerodynamically efficient cars by a good margin,” says Tombazis.
Efficient aerodynamics were another target for 2026. The regulations for new power units present a problem of reducing consumption to prevent the need to divert power from the thermal engine to recharge the hybrid system, resulting in straight-line deceleration. Active aerodynamics were presented as a solution to reduce drag on straights, but Tombazis is cautious:
“It’s not decided yet. We need to consider the straight-line speed profile, the possibility of overtaking, the overall car efficiency, and, of course, the engine characteristics. We’ve made significant progress on this front in the last two months; I’m not worried.” – he pointed out.
Real Overtaking
In the event that active aerodynamics are confirmed for the upcoming cars, the FIA has a clear idea of how and where to intervene. “The most potent area is the rear wing. Other things can be done, like having a movable flap on the diffuser. We want to be cautious, though, because if we add too many active components, then weight will be added as well,” explains Tombazis. Some team engineers have already expressed concerns about the high number of solenoid valves that would be required to manage several movable appendices.
Another point concerns the control of potential active aerodynamics, which would be the responsibility of the control unit rather than the driver. “We don’t want the driver to become an aerodynamicist or an engineer. The differentiator should be pure driving talent, not necessarily playing a chess game with strategy. Similarly, we don’t want engineering competition to turn into another naval battle among engineers conducting simulations to optimize strategy. This would lead to cars overtaking each other not because of on-track battles but due to strategy differences,” adds Tombazis. In the field of active aerodynamics and power unit delivery strategies, the FIA is careful not to open an engineering challenge area that is interesting but potentially tedious for spectators. The goal is to maintain the central role of the driver. “Of course, there will remain differentiation between the cars because, after all, we are in Formula 1, but there will be criteria to avoid opening a window that changes the nature of the game,” explains the FIA single-seater director.
Suspension
Active suspensions were initially proposed as a solution to prevent porpoising and reduce aerodynamic drag on straights. However, the FIA has no intention of including them in the upcoming regulations, as Tombazis outlines the reasons: “Teams would be able to optimize the aerodynamic load around a very specific setup. However, this would create a situation where the optimal load is very high but also local, limited to precise conditions. The result would be very sensitive cars that would quickly lose performance when following another vehicle. Active suspensions would have advantages, such as control over porpoising, but they would compromise the overall objective.”
Similarly, there is no plan to reintroduce inerters, components capable of dampening oscillations based on instantaneous accelerations. “We don’t see the reason for it. They add weight, and the cars were only faster when they were underweight. In other words, the weight of the inerters themselves was more penalizing than their advantage. They are also very expensive, and we don’t see their application in everyday cars,” Tombazis explains. Significant steps forward have been taken in the new regulations, but we will still have to wait for their publication. “The regulations must be approved by mid-2024 unless there are agreements with the teams to postpone this date a bit,” concludes Nikolas Tombazis.
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