What will be the impact of the 2026 single-seaters on Formula 1? The question is interesting because since the FIA decided to publish the draft of the new chassis and aerodynamic regulations on 6 June, a strong debate has opened, deeming the proposal necessary for important corrections to achieve the objective of creating very more agile.
The topic will certainly return to discussion during the race weekend in Barcelona, also because the World Council of the International Federation will ratify the rules in the session scheduled for June 28th.
The intent of Nikolas Tombazis’ staff is to reduce his weight by around thirty kilos, starting a trend reversal that should have only positive effects. On this aspect, some team representatives have cast serious doubts on the ability to achieve such a significant result due to the greater mass of the new power units which will weigh 185 kg when complete.
The drawing of Giorgio Piolaabove, instead shows us the view from above of the current F1 cars easily recognizable by the red profile and that of the 2026 single-seaters, highlighting the other differences that will more easily go in the direction of agile machines which will have to be less “pachydermic” than those of today and more reactive when navigating the chicanes.
The gray F1, therefore, represents the layout of the 2026 cars according to the slavish reading of future regulations, without any interpretation. The first aspect that catches the eye is certainly the length: the reduction in wheelbase of 200 mm (from 3,600 to 3,400 mm) is shown in the diagram with a shortening of the rear axle, trying to maintain the maximum possible distance between the front wheels and the mouth of the bellies.
It is also impressive how narrow the front wing becomes: the FIA rendering shows a cut of 200 mm, a value that has never been declared. Now the wing is 2,000 mm wide, but that would go down to just 1,800. Also striking is the presence of only three elements instead of the current four.
Comparison between the 2024 and 2026 front wings
Picture of: Giorgio Piola
At the rear, however, we will move from a wing with a main profile and a mobile flap to a system with an additional adjustable element. This solution was designed with the idea of ”balancing” the car: in the simulations already carried out it had emerged that by applying the The FIA tried to “even out” the loss of downforce on the two axles, in order to maintain a certain aerodynamic balance.
In the front wing, the cantilevered curb of the side bulkhead does not escape, which will be almost flush with the inside of the tire, whereas it now extended to the outer edge of the cover. The intention would be to secure with a “neutral” shape an area where the team’s aerodynamicists have been skilled in finding performance, developing and then taking to the extreme the out wash effect of the flows. The intent was to bring a lot of air to the outside of the front wheel to manage the wake management with vortices carefully studied in the wind tunnel.
The more the technicians found performance, the dirtier the wake became, reducing (not only through the front wing) the ability of the following car to stay attached to the one in front.
Continuing the analysis, it emerges that the bargeboards behind the front wheels become larger, reaching the outermost surface at the edge of the rubber, completely changing the concept of their functioning, given that the Venturi channels disappear to leave room for a flat bottom that will extend at maximum width up to the rear wheels, without allowing any deformation with slots and side flaps at the trailing edge.
There will no longer be the carbon wheel covers that were integrated into the brake duct: riders complained a lot that they limited visibility, so they have been (rightly) abolished.
With this configuration the FIA expects to reduce the aerodynamic load by 30% and increase efficiency by 55%. This is a very ambitious exercise in terms of reducing drag, while there is already talk of the need to increase cornering speed for which a certain recovery of downforce is desirable.
How much are these forms destined to change in the coming months?
#Lets #find #footprint #agile #singleseaters
