The governing body of Formula 1 is poised to reveal the complete set of regulations for a transformative technical era beginning in 2026.
Officials have informed the media that the detailed presentation will occur on Thursday, as teams gear up for the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.
"We have already given the green light to the 2025 car," disclosed Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur last week, "and work on the 2026 power unit began a long time ago.
Regarding the chassis and aerodynamics," he was quoted by Marca, "we could hypothesize some concepts but nothing more as we don't yet have the regulations."
The upcoming regulatory changes have elicited mixed reactions. While some are dismayed, given the fading of Red Bull's recent dominance under the 2022-2025 'ground effect' rules, others are optimistic, hoping the new designs will prevent scenarios like the recent Monaco Grand Prix, where overtaking was severely limited even as race winner Charles Leclerc set a painfully slow pace.
"Well, the (2026) cars are very similar dimensions, so I don't think they're going to be making overtaking a great deal easier," Christian Horner of Red Bull opined.
Conversely, Williams' James Vowles sees the 2026 rules as an opportunity for midfield teams to make significant advancements, particularly by developing lighter vehicles.
"Hopefully the weight of the car will be at the right level in '26," he told Dutch publication Formule 1.
"As it looks now, a light car will be a big advantage," added Vowles.
"After all, the minimum weight requirements are so low that I don't think anyone will be able to achieve it."
Negotiations are also underway for a new commercial 'Concorde Agreement' that will regulate the sport from 2026 onwards. Discussions include potentially raising the team budget cap to $220 million, though with fewer exclusions than currently permitted.
"I think there's a sensible discussion about what's being included, what is to remain excluded and what actually is relevant to creating performance," Horner mentioned.
"For example, does a Christmas party actually make your car go faster?" he humorously added. "If that is to be included in the cap, every technical director is going to want a front wing as opposed to a party, and so it's about finding that balance." body check tags ::
