Eight key problems with F1's divisive 2026 rules

F1’s 2026 rules haven’t even been made official yet and already extensive changes are needed to address the biggest fears raised by teams.

Most back the basic objectives to make the cars lighter and more nimble, improve racing, and balance a very different hybrid engine with completely different car downforce and drag levels.

But the concern is that what’s been outlined is simply not achievable with the rules in their current form – and remember, teams have seen the draft regulations, so know a lot more of the detail than the outline that has been shared publicly so far.

00:00 Intro
00:52 Too fast on the straights...
01:58 ... too slow in the corners
02:58 Impossible weight loss
04:16 Engine consequences
05:50 Ill-defined active aero
06:53 Less tyre grip
07:54 Too slow overall
09:07 Overcomplicated
10:31 So, what happens now?

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[trk]

I prefer 50/50 as 5 cylinders on one side of the engine, and 5 more on the right side of the engine.

[ZZPxFTW]

FIA: "Make your cars lighter!"
also FIA: "here's a massive battery you have to use!"

[Max-piri]

3:31
No, just to be clear it's not the engine that's getting heavier, infact it's lighter than ever
It's the battery and hybrid components that are getting heavier

[guitarsimon]

Honestly by time we get to 2026 no one will even talk about X or Z mode, it'll just be how the cars run, and manual override will be called MOM mode or something

[Omeshan]

Throw away the batteries, run on sustainable fuel. Weight solved, racing solved, still environment friendly.

[jamsheehan]

I don't want to watch who can save the most energy tyres etc.. I want to see drivers and teams pushing to the limit of technology and what is physically possible at all times because that's what makes F1 attractive. It is infuriating to see cars 5 - 6 seconds slower on Sunday over Saturday. It's frustrating to see cars almost 150kg heavier than they should be and driving like tanks. 650kg (excluding driver) should be the limit with all the modern safety required in my opinion.

[modernkennnern]

Personally, I like (Granted, I might be vastly underestimating just how important it is) that the minimum weight is not guaranteed, but rather a goal to strive for for the teams.

[yungsoupbowl]

Yuki gonna win world championship in 2026 by weight difference, lets goooo!

[Stevelangdon]

They should’ve opened certain areas of the combustion engine for development.
Since 2014 they’ve pretty much mastered combustion control but engines are still limited with turbo geometry, the valve train etc
Areas that could easily see the thermal efficiency of the engines improve even further

[Snakeyb]

They want them to drive electric rockets on wheels. It’s not about the cars or engines anymore, some tracks are struggling to get a race with these cars and they aren’t helping it.

[fredrikhumlehagen]

Theory about the naming of the X and Z mode, based on experience from the automotive sector.
Cars are designed in a coordinate system where the X-axis is longitudinal, Y is transversal an Z is vertical. Drag on a car is a force working in the X-direction while downforce works in the Z-direction, so it’s all fairly logical for an Engineer.

[kristianfagerstrom]

Frankly, I would like the cars to get a little bit smaller than that, but allow less restrictions on performance. That keeps the racing, since smaller cars allow for easier overtakes, and keeps the incentive for innovations.

[thesighbored]

I'm so glad to have witness the glory V10 era compared to this current nonsense of tire/power/battery/grandma management instead of pure all out racing.

[SuperHornetX]

"You should be lighter, more nimble."

"You should have less downforce"

"Here's a big ass battery"

what a joke.

[fliptheswitch]

Williams' complaints about the weight limit show their fear. Remember when Sauber was faster in 2022 because they met the minimum weight? That's the beauty of the weight limit. Vowles is worried because Williams is behind on reducing the car's weight and will likely struggle with the 2026 rules as well.

[insertgenericusernamehere]

Considering a lot of us understood easily Hypersoft, Ultrasoft, supersoft, soft, medium, hard, very hard tyres....the whole casual thing is nonsense. The casual fans that watch f1 now dont watch the racing they watch for their favourite drivers to thirst over.

[Ariespradana]

9:07 Since 1950, F1™ always complicated, thats what i like

[Sr]

Tbh I don't believe the teams, we have a constructors championship for a reason let them compete with difficult rules. Cars never end up being as slow as they say and after 2 years the development makes them 2 or 3 seconds faster anyway.

[vt]

"Fears of being overtaken by endurance cars"

WELCOME BACK GROUP C RACING WE ARE SO FUCKING BACK 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[gabormiklay]

Just by slowing the cars down in the corners doesn't mean the cars will be more agile. Weight is the key factor when changing direction and fighting for position when cornering.