This week, the FIA shared its early plans for the 2026 regulations and even showed some pictures of what the new cars might look like. However, teams are worried about some of the details in these plans.
According to the media, team bosses are planning to talk about their worries regarding the 2026 rules in a meeting with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali on Saturday.
One big concern is that the cars might be slower based on the draft regulations sent to teams. The plans aim to reduce the downforce by 30% and the drag by 55%. Early tests suggest that the 2026 cars could be a few seconds slower than the current F1 cars and only a bit faster than F2 cars unless some changes are made.
When talking about the speed of the 2026 cars, Stella said, “The cars are not fast enough in the corners and too fast on the straights. These two aspects need to be rebalanced.”
James Vowles from the Williams team agreed, saying that F1 needs to stay the fastest single-seater series above others like Super Formula and IndyCar. He said, “It’s essential that we are still the leading series in motorsport.”
Stella also mentioned that McLaren supports the goals of the new rules for 2026 but thinks improvements are necessary from the draft proposals. He said, “The regulations in the draft form…are still far from being able to achieve those agreeable objectives and intent.”
He emphasized the need for the FIA, F1, and the teams to work together to find a solution that meets everyone’s goals. “We need to make sure that, when it’s the time of implementation, we actually deliver a product that meets those targets and objectives,” Stella said.
