This is how 2026 Formula 1 cars might look, according to a Japanese manufacturer

This is how 2026 Formula 1 cars might look, according to a Japanese manufacturer. A Japanese company presents a prototype based on F1’s 2026 rules.

There’s just one year to go until the debut of the new generation of Formula 1, and anticipation is high to see what the 2026 cars will look like. The cars will be completely overhauled compared to the current generation. In fact, this marks the most significant regulatory change in the history of Formula 1: chassis, aerodynamics, and engines will all be newly designed, along with many other innovations.

This shift has sparked plenty of criticism and concern, but it should still provide designers with considerable creative freedom — a hallmark of Formula 1. As a result, we can expect very different and conceptually innovative cars. There is great curiosity to see them on track for the first time. While we’ve already seen renders from the FIA, history shows these previews tend to be highly simplified and don’t reflect the full potential allowed by the rules.

Giving the world a glimpse of what the new Formula 1 shapes might look like was the Japan Motor Racing Industry Association, in collaboration with Dome, a Japanese engine manufacturer. At the People and Cars Technology Expo 2025 in Yokohama, they unveiled a 50% scale model of a Formula 1 car built to comply with the 2026 technical regulations.

Not just a simple model
The prototype is not just a static display piece but a fully functional wind tunnel model, highly innovative and designed to analyze aerodynamic behavior.

However, despite faithfully adhering to the 2026 regulations, it’s not guaranteed to be a true Formula 1 car. The images show that the car features a floor using the well-known Venturi channels to generate downforce — meaning it relies on ground effect, which would contradict the 2026 Formula 1 regulations, which require a flat floor.

This suggests the model might be simply a demonstration test, or perhaps a prototype intended for a different category outside Formula 1.

It could be, for example, a car designed for Super Formula, a Japanese championship comparable to Formula 1, with very high-performance single-seaters often inspired by F1 design.