In 2026, Formula 1 will switch to new power plants that will run on synthetic fuel and the power of electric motors will increase to 350 kilowatts (475 hp). The new power plant will lead to a revision of the concept of Formula 1 cars, which the teams and the FIA already disagree on.
The transition to the new regulation has weaknesses that engineers will need to address one way or another. For example, the next generation of power plants will require larger batteries, which will lead to an increase in the weight of the machines. On the face of it, three years is a long time to solve all the problems, but in reality there is only a general idea of what cars should look like, but there are no ready-made regulations yet.
This is the main reason for the disagreement. The FIA wants to independently develop regulations to avoid delays. The teams, in turn, oppose this scenario, as they must build cars within budget constraints, and insist that they participate in the development of the rules.
Teams want important provisions to be approved in advance by the Formula 1 committee, but the problem is that the committee does not currently have the power to decide on such matters.
New power plants will take longer to charge the batteries. This will lead to straight drivers having to switch to charging mode sooner, which in turn will lead to a drop in the maximum speeds of new generation machines. Teams want to partially compensate for these losses with weight reduction, but the FIA is not even ready to discuss this issue yet.
As another measure to avoid a sharp drop in the speed limit on the straights, the teams are proposing to reduce the cars’ drag. For this, the width must be reduced to 1.9 meters and the wheelbase to 3.2 meters. The FIA did not give a clear answer to this proposal either.
It is not possible to agree on the size of the fuel tank. The planned volume reduction to 80 liters is almost impossible, as extra fuel will be needed to generate more electricity while driving.
In addition, the teams do not fully understand what the FIA means by “active aerodynamics”. Will it be limited to allowing riders to adjust the position of the flaps on the front and rear wing with a switch? Or is it an active suspension that can change position on straight lines and corners to stay in the most aerodynamically efficient position throughout the entire circle?
Relations between the teams and the FIA are heating up. Turbulent times are upon us again in Formula 1.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
