The FIA is accommodating the teams in 2026 by adjusting the Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) regulation. The teams will be allowed to use the 2025 car for testing as early as next year. Normally, a car must be two years old before it can be used for TPC tests. However, this adjustment is not good news for all teams.
Under the current TPC regulation, Formula 1 cars must be at least two years old. For instance, Lewis Hamilton was allowed to test the SF-23, the 2023 car, during his first work week at Ferrari, but the SF-24 was off-limits. This will change in 2026, when teams will be allowed to use their 2025 cars under the adjusted regulations. The Formula 1 seems to be lending a hand to the teams when the new 2026 regulation comes into effect.
Not Beneficial for All Teams
Not all teams, however, are happy with the concession. Teams that are changing engine suppliers in 2026 – including Sauber, Red Bull, and Aston Martin – will in principle benefit less from the adjusted TPC regulation. Testing with the 2025 car could prove particularly challenging for Sauber. According to German magazine Auto, Motor und Sport, Ferrari, Sauber’s current engine supplier, is not keen on the idea of Audi gleaning information from its competitor’s engine.
Aston Martin, which will be swapping Mercedes engines for Honda’s in 2026, will have to dig deep into its pockets to test the 2025 car at the start of next season. However, Aston Martin is reportedly undeterred, as the costs do not fall under the budget cap. As for Red Bull, advisor Helmut Marko only announced that an agreement about the future has been made with Honda.
