Formula 1 is being ripped apart and rebuilt for 2026. The new regulations change everything: the car concept, the dimensions, the weight and the entire power unit. These radical changes will have a major impact on both qualifying and the race. Where drivers can run everything wide open in qualifying with the new tools, the race will be all about managing the car and executing strategy.
Qualifying will become especially intriguing with these cars. Everything will be flat out: the battery’s maximum output and the internal-combustion engine’s peak power. Combined with narrower tyres, reduced mechanical grip, lower aero drag, higher top speeds and longer braking zones, it’s going to be spectacular to watch. Drivers will have to work much harder to squeeze out the absolute maximum.
On track, the race itself will change fundamentally. It will become far more strategic, and the interplay between engineers and driver will be decisive. A driver must manage the available tools more intelligently — and there will be more tools than ever. Whoever maintains the most mental bandwidth during the race will start with the advantage. The potential for a new, compelling style of racing is definitely there, but it will take a few races before it’s clear what tweaks the rules need for genuinely optimal racing.
