Tag: Active Aero

FIA’s Tombazis says 2026 F1 rules address 2022 errors

The new 2026 technical regulations will address aspects the FIA got wrong with the 2022 cars (pictured above in prototype form at its 2021 launch), according to its single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis. The governing body has released its planned …

The new 2026 technical regulations will address aspects the FIA got wrong with the 2022 cars (pictured above in prototype form at its 2021 launch), according to its single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis.

The governing body has released its planned technical regulations for 2026 that will be ratified at the end of this month, confirming active aerodynamics as part of a slightly smaller and lighter car design. There are also changes to the floor regulations and diffuser impact to try and remove the need for cars to be run as low and stiff as the current ones, that saw the re-introduction of ground effect in 2022.

“A significant part of these regulations has involved thinking about the fans,” Tombazis said. “We believe we made a step towards closer racing in 2022, but there were also things we got wrong and we’re trying to get it completely right now.

“We believe the racing will be much more exciting and much closer between cars. We expect cars to be still very challenging to drive; there will be a bit less downforce on the cars, there will be a few more things to look after for the drivers. And hopefully that, together with the closer racing, will always keep it a drivers’ championship and a big challenge for these very intelligent and talented individuals.”

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One of the targets of the 2022 regulations was to provide a closer grid due to limitations in aerodynamic development and the introduction of a cost cap, but Red Bull has dominated the sport in recent years.

While convergence is now being seen, Tombazis also believes that there is a better chance of more than one team fighting at the front from 2026 because the cost cap has been in place for a longer time, leading to a leveling of the playing field that hadn’t taken effect two years ago.

“We don’t set out to do regulations with a pecking order in mind — we can never predict who will get it right and who will not,” he said. “But when there are big changes — and these are big changes — we do expect a bit of a reshuffle. We can’t predict the nature of that reshuffle but it is natural to expect one.

“This is the second set of regulations where teams will be developing a car under the cost cap. And that is an opportunity for some of the smaller teams to catch up. The bigger teams can’t just spend irrationally and in all possible directions. All of the teams will need to prioritize and decide on where to put the effort.”

Tombazis noted that teams will also not be able to write off next season completely to focus on 2026, with restrictions on when they car do certain work on the new regulations.

“There are some limitations in the regulations about when teams can develop. For example, teams cannot start any aerodynamic development until 1 January, 2025. That’s to stop certain teams getting, let’s say, a very early start and maybe an unfair advantage. But on the mechanical side, the chassis, the structures, everything, teams will pretty much start as soon as these regulations are confirmed.”

Why active aero is part of the 2026 F1 regulations

The FIA has released its outline of the 2026 Formula 1 technical regulations, and a central component is the introduction of active aerodynamics. As part of the new rules, cars will have a three-element active rear wing, with the beam wing removed …

The FIA has released its outline of the 2026 Formula 1 technical regulations, and a central component is the introduction of active aerodynamics.

As part of the new rules, cars will have a three-element active rear wing, with the beam wing removed and simplified end plates, coupled with a two-element active front wing. Those will work in tandem to allow teams to run their cars in two different specifications throughout a lap, with the high downforce setting known as Z-mode for cornering, changing to a low drag X-mode on straights.

Although the power unit regulations have been simplified with the removal of the MGU-H, the added reliance on the MGU-K — almost tripled to 350kW and now delivering nearly 50% of the overall power — means drag has a bigger impact on energy usage.

FIA head of aerodynamics Jason Somerville explains why the solution was active aero, and why it has taken nearly two years since the power unit regulations were confirmed for the technical rules to follow.

“One of the aspects of the 2026 power unit is the greater reliance on electrical energy,” Somerville says. “If you were to drop the 2026 power unit into a current car, given the underlying drag level, the energy required to push the car through the air is rather high, and that wouldn’t be very well aligned with the characteristics of the power unit. We would end up with a severe drop-off in speed on the typical main straights.

“So, the focus for 2026 aerodynamically has been to reduce the base level of drag of the car, while trying to maintain a good level of downforce in the corners, and that’s led us towards active aerodynamics.”

The initial exploratory work for an active aero approach focused on a version of DRS that could be consistently used on every straight, but then the FIA found that the amount of drag reduction that was required had a bigger impact on the overall handling of the car.

“One of the main changes for 2026 aerodynamically hinges on reducing the drag from the rear wing. In order to reduce the overall drag, we have an active portion of the rear wing — akin to the DRS system that we currently have, although with more moving elements — which move to a greater degree.

“From our simulation work with the teams and their drivers, as soon as you have a rear wing that moves to reach the target drag level, it was clear that you needed to have an active front wing to match the balance characteristics.

“There were certain conditions where the drivers didn’t feel comfortable with a large forward aero balance, meaning lots of downforce on the front and not much downforce on the rear. So that led us towards the need to have an active front wing, as well as an active rear wing.”

But Somerville insists the new regulations that have been released are not solely shaped by issues with the power unit characteristics. As with the 2022 rules change, the primary focus was on trying to make cars even more conducive to close racing and being able to follow each other despite high levels of performance.

“The main goal of the 2026 aero rules is really to focus on re-establishing following car performance,” he said. “We want great racing; we want to ensure that the cars can race closely so the 2026 rules are an opportunity for us to reset the baseline level of the car so that they can race well together.

“And we also aim to make sure that the aerodynamics package is closely working with the power unit. Clearly the 2026 power unit has different characteristics, with a greater electrical component and as the heart of the car, we really needed to make sure that the aerodynamics complement that power unit.

“We believe [we’ve got it right], but time will tell! Because of the lead-times needed to design and produce a new power unit, the regulations for the power unit were defined first. And then the technical regulations for the aerodynamics evolved afterwards — that’s really where we are now.

“We’re just at the phase where we’ve finished the broad outline of the technical regulations for 2026, covering the aerodynamics, and over the next few months, we will refine them so that they are ready for the teams to commence their wind tunnel and CFD development work in January 2025.”

Although active aero is a new addition as such a central aspect to the regulations, there was provision for an active front wing in 2009 so the FIA has experience of the concept. And when teams do get to begin the aerodynamic development, the FIA’s single seater technical director Jan Monchaux believes it both opens F1 up to technology already in use on many road cars, as well as providing a new engineering challenge to tackle.

“Our industry has decided to make quite a severe change of direction to try to align itself a little bit more with the world we’re living in in 2024,” Monchaux said. “And as an engineer, I find that after 20 years I’m happy to see we are capable of opening up ourselves to active aerodynamics, even if it will be regulated and limited.

“Every high-end premium car has active aero on the road and I think nowadays, thanks to technology, we are in a far better position than maybe 30 or 40 years ago to develop these systems in a safe and reliable manner.

“I’m glad that we are going to have tools that help to solve quite a few challenges engineers, especially aerodynamicists, are currently facing. Being able to decouple your straight-line performance from cornering performance, I think it’s going to be a very interesting, interesting journey.

“So I’m proud of the work that the team at the FIA, supported by the input of the F1 teams, has done and I’m very excited to see how the cars will look and how they will perform in 2026.”

FIA unveils ‘nimble car’ details of 2026 F1 regulations

The FIA has unveiled a major update in the 2026 Formula 1 technical regulations with a “nimble car” concept aimed at producing smaller, lighter machinery. The power unit regulations for 2026 were confirmed two seasons ago and helped attract new …

The FIA has unveiled a major update in the 2026 Formula 1 technical regulations with a “nimble car” concept aimed at producing smaller, lighter machinery.

The power unit regulations for 2026 were confirmed two seasons ago and helped attract new manufacturers into the sport, but the actual technical regulations for the chassis and aerodynamics have remained a work in progress. That’s partly due to the FIA wanting to adapt them to the demands of the power units — featuring a nearly 50:50 split of internal combustion and electrical propulsion — and has led to a number of radical solutions.

The cars are intended to have a minimum weight some 30kg lighter than the current 798kg (1759 lbs), while a shorter wheelbase — down from 3600mm to 3400mm — and reduction in width by 100mm are also key components in what the FIA calls its “nimble car” concept. The width of the tires has also been reduced by 25mm at the front and 30mm at the rear.

Active aerodynamics will see both the front and rear wings changing from high downforce settings — known as Z-mode — for corners, to a low drag configuration — X-mode — for the straights. That’s to make more efficient use of the greater electrical energy from the power unit, with 350kw of power available from the battery and a reduction to around 400kw from the ICE that will be powered by a 100% sustainable fuel.

As the aerodynamics are set to be available to all drivers on every lap, in place of DRS the FIA is also introducing a “manual override” feature that will deliver maximum electrical energy deployment at higher speeds for a following car.

The FIA also says cars will feature a partially flat floor and lower-powered diffuser “which will reduce the ground effect and reduce the reliance of the cars on ultra-stiff and low setups.”

The new technical regulations are set to be ratified by the World Motor Sport Council on June 28, although teams are not allowed to work on aerodynamic development — with those rules still to be refined — until Jan. 1, 2025.

“Today, the FIA is defining a hugely exciting future for the pinnacle of motorsport with the launch of a comprehensive new set of regulations for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 championship and beyond,” FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said. “Following the publication of 2026 power unit regulations two years ago we have taken the opportunity to redefine the chassis regulations to match the energy requirement of the new power units. Collaborating with our partners at Formula 1 and with the assistance of the sport’s 10 teams and all our stakeholders this represents a unique revision that will ensure our premier championship is even more relevant to what is happening in the world.

“The power unit regulations have already resulted in a record number of PU manufacturers committing to the sport. And now, in tandem with chassis regulations that provide for lighter, more agile cars featuring innovative aerodynamic solutions, we have created a set of regulations designed to not only improve racing but also to make the championship even more attractive to PU manufacturers, OEMs and existing competitors.

“The key features of the 2026 F1 regulations are advanced sustainability technology and safety. 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.”

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F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali agrees with Ben Sulayem that all key stakeholders have worked well together on the new regulations, that will again see all teams designing new cars under a cost cap.

“These regulations mark a significant moment in the future of our sport as we look forward to a new generation of car and power unit that aims to give our fans closer and exciting racing,” Domenicali said.

“The new sustainably fueled hybrid power unit presents a huge opportunity for the global automotive industry — the drop in fuel has the potential to be used by cars around the world and dramatically cut emissions. Its potential is one of the key reasons why we will have a record number of engine suppliers in Formula 1 in 2026.

“We enter this new regulatory cycle with the sport in the strongest position it has ever been, and I am confident that the work done by the FIA to create these regulations will further strengthen the position of the sport around the world.”