Formula 1
How 2026 F1 rules will help avoid identikit designs
The 2026 Formula 1 rules are evolving to give teams more freedom
Matt Somerfield
Published: Dec 16, 2024, 11:31 AM
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2026 Formula 1 rules
Photo by: FIA
The FIA published a new set of renders showcasing the changes that are set to be made to the 2026 Formula 1 regulations.
The ruling body is still looking to better balance the performance envelope of the cars before the teams start work on their designs at the start of the new year.
Discussions have been ongoing regarding how the car's aerodynamics can be better utilised to meet the various goals of the incoming regulations, with the FIA and teams working together to give the designers a little more freedom with which to unlock some additional performance and reduce the chances of ending up with identikit designs.
The general shape and scheme of the car's design remain very similar, although the renders only offer the broad brushstrokes of what is achievable with the regulations, while the teams expected to be much more aggressive in how they approach their design.
With respect of the changes, there are some that are more obvious than others, with a change to the makeup of the outboard section of the front wing the most obvious of those.
2026 Front wing comparison
Photo by: Uncredited
Rather than having the option to place a vertical fin on the footplate, as was the case before (inset), there's now scope for a diveplane to be attached to the endplate, which in this instance has a more slender attachment and wider chord outboard.
However, there will invariably be a number of different ways that this box region can be used by the designers to compliment the various surfaces around it.
In this respect, we can also see a change in profile for the endplate, which indicates there will be freedom here for the teams to alter their designs, as they see fit, just as is the case now, with various different design options used up and down the grid.
You'll also note that the fully enclosed wheel rim covers that the current generation of cars has utilised appear to be making way for a disc solution instead, whereby the central section of the surface exposes the wheel rim behind.
This will obviously have an impact on cooling and alter the aerodynamic wake generated by the wheel and tyre assembly, which will give the designers a new challenge to overcome.
2026 Floor fences
Photo by: Uncredited
The floor, being the biggest performance contributor, has also seen its design revised, with the most obvious addition being the five fences added to the leading edge of the floor (circled).
These will provide more precise control of the airflow that's being encountered and provide the designers with more options when it comes to designing the other surfaces on the car's underfloor.
There appear to have been changes here too, with the stepped arrangement present in the original renders making way for a flat surface, whilst the diffuser's volume seems to have been increased, with the kick-line brought forward to accommodate this.
A small lipped Gurney flap is also present ahead of the rear tyre, which will undoubtedly give the designers a little more scope in terms of how they deal with the turbulence created in the region, while the diffuser's sidewall also appears to have the mouse house aperture used during the current regulations.
There's also been a set of cooling louvres added to the bodywork in the sidepod and engine cover juncture, suggesting that teams will still retain some of the freedoms that exist under the current regulations.
2026 rear end comparison
Photo by: Uncredited
Design decisions made here will have to be carefully managed due to the active aspect of the wing design, just as will be the case at the front of the car but, the new render incorporates a three-element angular spoon-shaped rear wing assembly, rather than the flat design seen in the original images.
This suggests that there's more freedom available here in terms of design individualisation, especially as we can also see that the swan-neck style mounting pillars from the original design have made way for underwing mounted variants.
The renders presented by the FIA are still very much a stylistic interpretation of how the regulations can be perceived but, given the concerns that had originally been raised by the teams, in regards to how effective the cars might be aerodynamically and how much freedom they'd have to design their cars, the changes do seem to be a step in the right direction.
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