Tombasis: In 2026, cars will become lighter and shorter

The technical regulations for the 2026 season will be published in half a year, but the FIA ​​​​said the cars will become lighter and shorter…

Nicholas Tombasis, FIA director of single-seater racing, said: “We want to make a decision on the 2026 regulations at the end of June, at least in their first version, in accordance with the schedule of the International Sporting Code.

We published the power plant regulations more than a year ago, manufacturers are already working on it, it will not change. We meet with them regularly to ensure we can address any misunderstandings or loopholes. We post some updates every now and then, but these are just clarifications and issues we’ve discussed with powertrain manufacturers.

Our focus now is mainly on the chassis. We have pretty much defined the basic layout of the car, it will be shorter. The wheelbase is likely to be 3.4 meters (currently the maximum wheelbase is 3.6 meters). Obviously none of this is final yet, but this is exactly where we’re going. The car becomes about 100 millimeters narrower.

In addition, we plan to reduce weight by 40-50 kilograms by 2026. In recent years, cars have become too bulky and heavy, so in 2026 we will go on a diet.
We plan to intelligently reduce the downforce of the cars and significantly reduce air resistance. As a result, the load on the suspension and other components is reduced, allowing teams to reduce the weight of their cars. Reducing the size will also help with this.

We also plan to supply smaller tires. We’re aiming for 16-inch wheels, with smaller tire diameters and narrower widths both front and rear. We believe all of this will contribute to significant weight loss.”