Formula 1 is an ever-changing sport and there are numerous eras that define the pinnacle of motorsports, with regulation changes, new tracks and much more. Formula 1 cars enjoy a cult status among fans in the community but many times they need to change the design to accommodate future ideas or sustainability issues.
FIA has been active about the 2026 regulation changes, which have prompted them to shut down some loopholes in order to help teams keep their engine’s secrets. F1 has been quite active about sustainability and changes to the car designs to provide better racing.
How will Formula 1 cars be like in 2026?
Formula 1 chief Nikolas Tombazis has revealed the key design for 2026 cars, which looks promising for the sport. 2022 was a major overhaul in car philosophy with the introduction of ground effects and sidepods to the car. This caused chaos among the teams and almost every team struggled to get their design right. In 2026, ground effects won’t affect the car as much, but their volume will go down too.
“Our goal is to have a significantly lower weight limit, and we are trying to reduce the weight limit from 40 to 50 kilos in 2026,” said Tombazis. “The way we want to do it is related to what we have called the concept of ‘agile car’, because basically we believe that in recent years cars have become a little too bulky and heavy”. This translates to the tyre management troubles which teams have encountered more often than often and it may provide relief to Pirelli who have decided to stick around in the sport for longer.
The cars will also feature 16-inch rims to enable them to be smaller and lighter, but another definitive change will come in the power systems. Honda and Audi have tried to put forth their trust in the 2026 engine regulations, which means the new cars will not have the MGU-H. The length of F1 cars is going to be approximately 200 mm less and their breadth will decrease similarly by 100 mm.
Will there be any changes in 2024 Formula 1 season?
There will be some significant changes in the 2024 Formula 1 season. The biggest one will come in form of a new Sprint format that aims to revitalize the current system of shorter races. And, if you thought the latest season of Formula 1 was long, be prepared for what’s about to come in the next season.
The 2024 season, which will mark the 75th Formula 1 world championship, is going to feature a whopping 24 races in a single year. They will retain all the current venues but add a returning circuit in the form of the Chinese Grand Prix. F1 is also going to introduce six sprint races next year, going against public opinion, which despises sprint racing formats.
The 2024 season is not going to bring any changes to the current car regulations but do you think FIA will do something about the persisting tyre degradation issues and reduce the carbon footprint of their races? Tell us your opinions in the comments.
