“Between then and now”: Mercedes Insider highlights major difference with 2026 F1 cars

F1 is set to introduce the new regulations for the 2026 season, which is going to be the biggest change since the 2014 regulations were introduced. While the 2022 regulations focused on minimising the dirty air effect by introducing ground effect, the 2026 regulations will bring a major change to the power unit and the aerodynamics. Mercedes insider James Allison came out and highlighted the major differences for the upcoming regulations.

The 2026 F1 cars will feature a 1.6L Turbocharged V6 engine. However, unlike the current engine spec, where the power is 80% dependent on the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) and 20% on the electrical motors, the new engine will have a 50-50 split between the two.

On the chassis side, the cars will be lighter by 30 kg while also being shorter and narrower. The front and rear tires are also narrower, while the rim size will continue to be the same.

The aerodynamic model is also heavily revised. After the 2022 cars suffered from porpoising due to the ground effect, the 2026 cars will no longer feature a venturi tunnel and will have a flat floor. Mercedes' Technical Director came out and detailed the effect of the same.

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According to AMuS, Allison said,

“These are cars with a flat underbody and a step in the middle. You can't seal them on the sides as strongly as the current cars. Therefore, it is more difficult to maintain the vacuum zone under the car. The venturi effect will be lower. Nevertheless, the 2026 cars are not an image of what we got to know in the era before 2022. They are somewhere in the middle between then and now.”

The 2014 regulations used the top aerodynamics to push the car into the ground, while the 2022 regulations focused on sucking the car to the ground using ground effect. Allison suggested that the 2026 regulations will be somewhere in between.

The 2026 cars will also feature active aerodynamic elements at the front and rear of the car, which will act together to significantly reduce the drag on straights and boost the top speeds.

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Toto Wolff on the 2026 F1 cars reaching 400 km/h

While the power output from the 2026 regulations remains the same at 1000+ horsepower, the cars will have considerably less drag. Also, the active aerodynamic elements at the front and rear will further help in achieving a greater top speed.

Mercedes Boss Toto Wolff came out and suggested that on full power, the 2026 cars will touch the 400 km/h mark. He said,

“When the full power is called up, we will scratch the 400 km/h limit.”

The current F1 top speed record is held by Valtteri Bottas at 378 km/h, which was set in 2016 at the Baku street circuit.