The 2026 System 1 season will carry a automotive idea that’s radically completely different from what we see at the moment, each technically and from a sporting perspective. The most important problem will likely be managing the battery cost, which should energy an electrical motor 3 times stronger than the present one, with out the power to get well vitality from the turbo. Based on the Italian media, this challenge is already influencing design selections and approaches to lively aerodynamics, and it might even jeopardize Monza’s fame because the Temple of Velocity.
Effectivity issues greater than energy
Within the paddock, rumors are swirling about which staff presently has the best-performing engine on the dyno. By no means earlier than has the exit of Renault and the creation of energy unit departments at Audi and Pink Bull-Ford sparked such a widespread reshuffling of personnel and information throughout engine producers. It’s broadly believed that Mercedes is the present benchmark, carefully adopted by Ferrari, though establishing a transparent hierarchy stays troublesome. Peak energy is not going to be the decisive issue—vitality effectivity will matter much more.
A key problem will likely be recharging the battery to energy the hybrid system, which can produce 350 kW—way over the present 120 kW. Managing vitality shouldn’t be an issue on twistier tracks, however on sooner ones, the facility unit received’t at all times be capable of run at full capability, and groups might want to rigorously ration battery use over the course of a lap. “On paper, Monza will not be the Temple of Velocity,” Aston Martin’s Engineering Director Luca Furbatto stated in an interview for the Italian web site FormulaPassion. Beneath the sporting laws, the management unit can’t abruptly lower an excessive amount of energy on straights, however nothing stops groups from instructing drivers to elevate off the throttle effectively earlier than the braking level.
Nonetheless, altering the laws simply months earlier than the vehicles debut shouldn’t be a viable possibility. The plan is to proceed with the present model and assess potential changes later. Among the many ongoing discussions is how you can help lagging engine producers, whose efficiency will likely be monitored utilizing torque and energy sensors mounted on the driveshafts.
Synergy between aerodynamics and engine
Power administration can be affecting the strategy to lively aerodynamics, which from 2026 will contain each entrance and rear wings and will likely be 3 times extra highly effective than the present DRS. At present’s movable wing is principally a software to realize pace on straights and help overtaking, however within the 2026 vehicles, wing opening will function a key factor in vitality administration—decreasing drag and consumption on the straights. Groups are engaged on completely different aerodynamic effectivity targets for open- and closed-wing configurations. The benefit will go to those that greatest exploit the aerodynamic interplay between the entrance and rear wing openings, probably altering airflow constructions to additionally cut back physique drag.
Having the most effective energy unit received’t assure success, as a lot will rely on how effectively it integrates with the remainder of the automotive. Engineers agree that the 2026 vehicles would require excellent synergy between engine and aerodynamics, with vitality administration shaping the automotive idea. Chasing most downforce doesn’t appear to be the profitable path. Apart from growing drag and consumption on the straights, an excessive amount of grip would elevate mid-corner speeds and shorten braking zones—the place the vehicles really want extended deceleration to recharge the battery.
All of this contributes to a situation through which the aerodynamic load projections fluctuate vastly not solely amongst groups but in addition in comparison with FIA estimates. It’s no shock that a number of elements of the aerodynamic and chassis laws are nonetheless being finalized, creating important complications for all concerned.
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