Formula 1
Revealed: First images of Formula 1's new 2026 car concept
The FIA has revealed the first images of how Formula 1's all-new 2026 cars could look, with the rules set for sign-off later this month.
Jonathan Noble
Edited: Jun 6, 2024, 1:44 PM
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Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, the FIA outlined the key details of the 'nimble' car concept that will arrive alongside the new power units and mandatory use of fully sustainable fuel.
Featuring active aero, the new cars will be 30kg lighter than current F1 machinery and will be both shorter and narrower.
The wheelbase is being reduced from 3600mm to 3400mm, with the width of the cars dropping from 2000mm to 1900mm. Furthermore, the maximum floor width will be reduced by 150mm.
While F1 is retaining the 18-inch wheel size that has been present since 2022, the width of the front tyres will be reduced by 25mm and the rears by 30mm – although it is hoped this will not result in a significant loss of grip.
As part of an effort to both get the chassis perfectly suited for the new engine rules, as well as help cars follow each other better, downforce has been reduced by 30% and drag by 55%.
Key aerodynamic elements of the car, which feature moveable wings, have been designed in such a way as to minimise the dirty air phenomenon that is so harmful to the racing.
This includes a narrower front wing, the removal of the front wheel arches, and in-washing wheel wake control boards in front of the sidepods.
At the back of the car, there will be a three-element active rear wing, featuring simplified endplates, with the lower beam wing being removed.
F1 2026 FIA car renders
Photo by: FIA
Hidden from view, the 2026 F1 cars will feature a partially flat floor and lower-powered diffuser to reduce the ground effect and not make performance so reliant on ultra-stiff and low ride-height set-ups.
The cars will also feature improved safety elements, including a two-stage front impact structure and improved side intrusion protection. Roll hoop loads are also being increased from 16G to 20G, while rear wing endplate lights will be made brighter.
The FIA's single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis labelled the new regulations a 'moderate revolution' but reckoned they fitted in perfectly with what F1 should be.
"With this set of regulations, the FIA has sought to develop a new generation of cars that are fully in touch with the DNA of Formula 1," he said.
"Cars that are light, supremely fast and agile but which also remain at the cutting edge of technology, and to achieve this we worked towards what we called a 'nimble car' concept.
"Lighter, more powerful and more focused on driver skill, the 2026 FIA Formula One Technical Regulations have been designed to provide closer racing among drivers, increase the competition between teams and to improve the spectacle."
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem added: "Our aim, together with Formula 1, was to produce a car that was right for the future of the sport's elite category. We believe we have achieved that goal."
The new 2026 rules are set to be ratified at a meeting of the FIA's World Motor Sport Council on June 28.
Read Also:
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