A few years back, the FIA announced that they would introduce new regulation changes from the 2026 F1 season. These changes were meant to make the cars faster, lighter, and more sustainable. The regulation changes involved the power unit and the aerodynamics among others.
With whatever information was provided by the FIA, the teams have tested a few simulations. This will help them understand the scope of the new car. During these simulations, the teams found an alarming problem that has put a spanner in the works.
Simulations point out major flaws in 2026 F1 regulations
From what has been said by the FIA, the new regulations are meant to improve the cars’s overall speed in the straights and in the corners. In order to do so, a plan for a new rear wing is underway. These rear wings are much larger than the ones that are currently being used in F1. This will provide the cars with a large amount of downforce in the corners, but will also provide lesser drag in the straights when the DRS is open.
#F1 teams discovered some alarming characteristics of the 2026 cars in early simulator running. It’s prompted a change of plan with active aero as efforts continue to finalise the rules.https://t.co/SjFDudMSaM#F1
— Jon Noble (@NobleF1) April 9, 2024
During the simulation runs, the teams attempted to run with low downforce setups. Sources state that the car was undrivable during this setup. The setup caused the car to spin a lot during the corners. This will make the car undrivable in tracks like Monza and Canada. As a solution, an insider from one of the teams suggested the drivers drive the car slower than a Formula 2 car. This was the only way to make the regulations work in the low downforce setup. Naturally, this would not be an option as the FIA is aiming to make the cars faster.
Will the FIA make an engine regulation change or an aerodynamic change?
Following this issue, the FIA will now take the data that has been collected by the teams to develop a solution. Naturally, this solution will involve a revised regulation change for the 2026 season. The change could either occur in the engine or the aerodynamics of the car.
Due to the problems faced by the teams during simulations, the FIA could fix this solution by making the engines smaller. This would allow the cars to be more compatible with the new rear wing design. However, this could prove to be challenging as a lot of teams have already begun designing their power unit.
#F1 teams discovered some alarming characteristics of the 2026 cars in early simulator running. It’s prompted a change of plan with active aero as efforts continue to finalise the rules.https://t.co/SjFDudMSaM#F1
— Jon Noble (@NobleF1) April 9, 2024
Audi, Honda, and Ford have already started work on their power units for the 2026 season. Given that they are the only new entrants, they will be looking to make an impact right away. An engine regulation change to reduce the size of the power unit could delay their progress. All the work they have done so far would be gone to waste if there is a major change in the engine regulation. Hence, these manufacturers will be hoping that the FIA does not make any changes to the power unit.
Another solution for the FIA would be to make some changes in the aerodynamics. In doing so, they should be able to make another component of the car movable, giving the machine the right balance of speed and stability. There is no doubt that the engine manufacturers for the 2026 season would prefer this option.
What do you think the FIA should do to solve this problem? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
Rohit Kumar 
Sara Chavan