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2026 Formula One Season Thread

TheIntruder said:
Once again, Gary Anderson sums it up well:

www.the-race.com

Gary Anderson: The simple 2026 rules fixes F1 is missing

F1 just needs to put the driver back in charge of the car, and it's missing obvious ways to do so - reckons Gary Anderson
www.the-race.com www.the-race.com

2027, perhaps.
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Didn't we already have this over the past decade with ERS?

I think the idea of increasing electrification was something worth pursuing, but it should not have gone from ~20% of the power to ~50% in one go. It should have been a more ramped approach where you go 70-30 in 2026 and then 60-40 in 2027 and 50-50 in 2028. That would have given the drivers and the engineers time to acclimate to the heavier electrification as well as time to identify potential concerns and unintended consequences and address them for the following year's rules.
 
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CWallace said:
Didn't we already have this over the past decade with ERS?

I think the idea of increasing electrification was something worth pursuing, but it should not have gone from ~20% of the power to ~50% in one go. It should have been a more ramped approach where you go 70-30 in 2026 and then 60-40 in 2027 and 50-50 in 2028. That would have given the drivers and the engineers time to acclimate to the heavier electrification as well as time to identify potential concerns and unintended consequences and address them for the following year's rules.
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That's far too sensible 😉
 
With the extended break allowing more development time, big changes to the cars are expected to be coming this weekend at Miami, including Red Bull adopting Ferrari's "Macarena Wing".

 
The weather is going to be a factor this weekend. Strong lightning expected this weekend. Could effect the ability of having an Egg Beater in the air during the race. They can be temperamental around 30,000 amps.
 
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CWallace said:
Didn't we already have this over the past decade with ERS?

I think the idea of increasing electrification was something worth pursuing, but it should not have gone from ~20% of the power to ~50% in one go. It should have been a more ramped approach where you go 70-30 in 2026 and then 60-40 in 2027 and 50-50 in 2028. That would have given the drivers and the engineers time to acclimate to the heavier electrification as well as time to identify potential concerns and unintended consequences and address them for the following year's rules.
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To me, how they get there isn't as important as remembering where they're trying to go. That means drivers being in full control of their cars, not algorithms, and designs optimized for performance, not ulterior aims.

I don't think that for most fans, all the talk about energy units, regen, and other figures is why they are fans.

Even if it can create some amusing, and not so amusing situations as a side effect.

As it stands, I won't be surprised to see a pendulum swing in the other direction, and the return of simpler V10s in 2030 or whenever.

Transporting hundreds of people and tonnes of equipment around the globe 20+ times a season is never going to be green. F1 just has to accept that and not allow it to compromise the product.
 
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TheIntruder said:
To me, how they get there isn't as important as remembering where they're trying to go. That means drivers being in full control of their cars, not algorithms, and designs optimized for performance, not ulterior aims.

I don't think that for most fans, all the talk about energy units, regen, and other figures is why they are fans.

Even if it can create some amusing, and not so amusing situations as a side effect.

As it stands, I won't be surprised to see a pendulum swing in the other direction, and the return of simpler V10s in 2030 or whenever.

Transporting hundreds of people and tonnes of equipment around the globe 20+ times a season is never going to be green. F1 just has to accept that and not allow it to compromise the product.
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But it’s not just about being green. It’s also about keeping in step with what is happening in the automotive industry.
Electric cars and hybrids are the norm now. If we go back to 100% ICE expect to see some of the big automotive companies pull out.
 
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CWallace said:
I think the idea of increasing electrification was something worth pursuing, but it should not have gone from ~20% of the power to ~50% in one go. I
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I personally believe, that F1 must remain ICE majority powered, otherwise it is an 'E' class formula. One could argue, that at 49.9% electric, that it meets that, but I am firmly in the camp, that majority should be 2/3rds or greater for this formula.
We have an electric category, and yeah I get it, Liberty want to make money, but F1 has always been at the forefront, of ICE technology to make cars faster, more reliable on Internal combustion engines. F1 should be concentrating on improving the not fossilised fuel technology, and improving efficiency in the ICE to do this.
 
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Racing Bulls reveal vibrant yellow livery for Miami Grand Prix weekend:​


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I like it!
 
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Apple fanboy said:
But it’s not just about being green. It’s also about keeping in step with what is happening in the automotive industry.
Electric cars and hybrids are the norm now. If we go back to 100% ICE expect to see some of the big automotive companies pull out.
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That's what Formula E is for. The new Gen 4 car that's coming next year is going to raise it to a whole new level.
 
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Apple fanboy said:
But it’s not just about being green. It’s also about keeping in step with what is happening in the automotive industry.
Electric cars and hybrids are the norm now. If we go back to 100% ICE expect to see some of the big automotive companies pull out.
Click to expand...
It's also about being at the forefront of engine technology. Naturally aspirated engines were outdated in F1 already in the 1980s and it was the regulations that forced the teams to use them from 1989 through 2013. If we gave the teams and constructors free reins to design the fastest car today, it would probably be a hybrid or even fully electric if races weren't two hours long.
 
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Apple fanboy said:
But it’s not just about being green. It’s also about keeping in step with what is happening in the automotive industry.
Electric cars and hybrids are the norm now. If we go back to 100% ICE expect to see some of the big automotive companies pull out.
Click to expand...

Perhaps over there, but not over here. And it seem like over here is the next big market that F1 is trying to capture.
 
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Apple fanboy said:
But it’s not just about being green. It’s also about keeping in step with what is happening in the automotive industry.
Electric cars and hybrids are the norm now. If we go back to 100% ICE expect to see some of the big automotive companies pull out.
Click to expand...

They couldn't and wouldn't eliminate an hybrid element entirely. But it's certainly not going to have the same role as currently. And with the initial discussions for the next engine formula underway, the current climate will be fresh in everyone's minds.

The connection between "Win in Sunday, Sell on Monday" has been tenuous for a long time, especially when it comes technical relevance to road cars.

Motorsport is now primarily sports entertainment, and participation is more for exposure than technical development. F1 can afford to do more in that respect, but the strange bedfellows that have occurred betray that it's not about strict adherence, and the OEMs tacitly admit that through their own actions, as the ones who shape the regs, and spend the money.
 
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Herdfan said:
Perhaps over there, but not over here. And it seem like over here is the next big market that F1 is trying to capture.
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America is a very unique automotive market and very small compared to the norms elsewhere in the automotive industry. Recent decisions on policy in the US have just distanced the market even further and F1 needs to appeal to a global market for its revenue and appeal.
 
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Apple fanboy said:
But it’s not just about being green. It’s also about keeping in step with what is happening in the automotive industry.
Electric cars and hybrids are the norm now. If we go back to 100% ICE expect to see some of the big automotive companies pull out.
Click to expand...
You seem to be getting some disagreement over your comment but you are 100% correct. F1 does need to be relevent to the automotive industry and is an R&D category, testing ground and tax loophole paradise for major manufacturers. It has to have some technical relevance and is not just a marketing engine, its far too expensive for that alone.
 
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F1 team politics appear to be in play again, with the FIA abruptly suspended a planned ruling on the first round of Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) rules over proposed changes that would allow Honda additional help (especially in the cost cap) beyond what are allowed for being 4%+ behind. Additional discussions within the Power Unit Advisory Committee (PUAC) over this in the coming weeks.

All the teams seem to agree that Honda needs more help than that directly allowed under the current ADUO rules, but the changes require a supermajority of votes and evidently they don't have that. Mercedes is widely expected to have been a "no" vote as Wolff has been vocal that Honda deserves help, but not Ferrari and Audi. And with what is believed to be the strongest ICE in the field, Red Bull and Racing Bulls would also likely prefer that Ferrari and Audi were not able to improve their ICEs via AUDO so one or both of them were also likely a "no", which meant a super-majority was not reached.

In addition to the generic desire to maintain one's advantage, there is discussion about what exactly should be considered in determining how "behind" an ICE is. Ferrari, for example, is losing power both due to their smaller turbo (which cannot generate as much performance as the larger turbos everyone else is running) and their "exhaust wing" causes backpressure issues that robs performance. So is the issue the ICE is not powerful enough, or is the issue that the ICE is powerful enough, however design (turbo) and installation ("exhaust wing") choices are impacting the final performance.

www.the-race.com

Vote on F1 rules tweak to help Honda is suddenly suspended

Honda's hopes of getting granted extra engine upgrade opportunities through a change in the Formula 1 rules are in limbo
www.the-race.com www.the-race.com

www.the-race.com

FIA mooted a very different F1 engine upgrade system

The FIA has revealed that manufacturers last year rejected its offer for a different process to establish Formula 1's ranking of engines
www.the-race.com www.the-race.com
 
So one change I welcome is Free Practice on Sprint Weekends has been extended from 60 minutes to 90 minutes starting with Miami.
 
What is wrong with the FIA? They should ban Aston until the team can prove the cars are reliable.. The team had a whole month and more to sort out the problems, they bring two useless cars and 1 very useless driver and one that is keen on zimmer frame designs.. Why? It is embarrassing to see 2 cars slower then Formula 4 trundle around not able to finish a race, really they are a hazard, if the AM enters the track, automatic red flag.. They are that bad, closing speeds and accidents, they are too slow, too dangerous..
 
Oh dear, what is this? You would have thought, a rest, a holiday, but no, we have to employ the incompetents.. How could they miss a track limit? Maybe only have sparkle water at the venue.. Very unprofessional to miss a simple track limit.. Or are the folks in the office too busy vaping??
 
pachyderm said:
I'm not sure what has happened to Stroll? Pit lane start ?
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Something broke on the car on his first push lap. He locked up and went into the runoff and you could see the whole car shudder, so my guess is the gearbox packed it in. He was able to make it back to the garage, but immediately hopped out.

As for Alonso, his time was slower than the entire Formula 2 field. "GP2 engine" indeed.
 
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