Pat Symonds, technical director of Formula 1, stated that the category aims to reduce the downforce (aerodynamic load) of the category’s cars, with the new technical regulations coming into force in 2026.
The power unit regulations for 2026 have already been defined. The 1.6-liter V6 turbo engine should run on 100% sustainable fuel, with an even greater focus on hybridization. The plan is to increase electrical power through the MGU-K system, achieving a power split of approximately 50/50 between the combustion engine and electrical components. Symonds, in an interview with F1’s ‘Beyond the Grid’ podcast, said: “We’re going to go over 1,000 horsepower with the 2026 car, and we want more of that to come from the electric motor.”
In addition to reducing downforce, Symonds also advocates a reduction in the weight and size of the next generation Formula 1 cars.
“We want to reduce the aerodynamic load on the car,” he said. “Part of the reason cars are so heavy is because they have to handle a lot of pressure. With less downforce, they will slide a little more.”
Critics point to the excessive weight and size of current cars as factors that harm the quality of racing and make overtaking difficult. The minimum weight of modern F1 cars reaches almost 800kg, a significant increase compared to the 620kg of the 2010 cars and the 690kg at the start of the hybrid era (2014).
Furthermore, the cars are currently around 5.63 meters long and 2 meters wide. This is approximately 0.6 meters more than the first hybrid cars (2014-2016).
Nikolas Tombazis, director of single-seaters at the FIA, stated last year that the target is a weight reduction of 50kg and hopes ‘that it will be possible to have smaller, shorter and narrower cars’.
Theoretically, smaller and lighter cars should provide more overtaking opportunities. Furthermore, Symonds believes that less downforce and more power will require greater skill from the drivers.
Some consider that the current generation of F1 cars, with high downforce due to ground effect, are too easy to drive. Former team owner Eddie Jordan, on the ‘Formula for Success’ podcast, cited Oliver Bearman’s recent impressive but unexpected F1 debut with Ferrari as proof of this.
“To me, this indicates that the cars are too easy to drive compared to what they used to be,” Jordan said. “It is impressive that a driver like this, with minimal testing, is called at the last minute to put on a jumpsuit and race on a track like the one in Saudi Arabia.”
Symonds’ vision is that the next generation of cars will be more challenging to drive, casting drivers as the real stars of the show. “This is important. The pilots are the heroes, the supermen that we want to promote. So, I think things are going in the right direction”, he concluded.
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