Updates on 2026 F1 regulations: 50 points of downforce added, lap times close to current cars. The FIA and F1 teams continue to work on potential adjustments for 2026 rules.

Negotiations for the 2026 F1 regulations
As of the end of October 2024, there are still no definitive rules regarding the technical revolution that drivers and teams are expecting for the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship. This delay is partly due to concerns raised when the first draft of the regulations was presented earlier in the summer, where it became evident that the cars might be too slow. As a result, the FIA and the teams continued to work on potential adjustments to make the races more exciting than initially imagined. Progress has reportedly been made during the latest F1 Commission meeting in Faenza and the subsequent World Motor Sport Council. While the new regulations have not yet been officially confirmed or detailed, the Federation seems pleased with the compromises recently reached.

FIA, Nikolas Tombazis speaks
Nikolas Tombazis, former Ferrari technical director and current head of single-seater competitions at the FIA, discussed the new 2026 regulations during the Austin weekend. “The performance of the cars has improved,” he said, “by about 50 points of downforce. This has brought the performance from what was possibly a -40% compared to current cars, to around -15% in terms of downforce. So, in terms of lap times, we expect them to be very close to those of this generation of cars. If we hadn’t made any changes after presenting the first draft in June, I believe the cars would have lost another two seconds.” – the head of single-seater competitions pointed out.

Aerodynamic updates for the 2026 World Championship
According to Nikolas Tombazis, engineers have gained a bit more freedom in designing the upcoming cars: “The most significant changes in terms of aerodynamics are related to an increase in the area for the front wing. We have also introduced endplates more akin to the style of previous cars. Additionally, the size of the diffuser has been increased, now starting slightly further forward and being larger. The bodywork around the wheels has also been redesigned, though there is still work to be done. We hope to finalize the remaining details for the rear bodywork and how it should interact with the diffuser by the next FIA World Council.” – the former Ferrari technical director concluded.