The most scathing, as often happens, was Max Verstappen, who really doesn’t like the new rules of Formula 1: «Maybe we’ll also need some banana peels», he joked, comparing the revolution wanted by the FIA for 2026 to the famous video game Super Mario Karting. Indeed, between the active aerodynamics – the double mobile wing to be activated regardless of the detachment – and the Override to have more power when overtaking, in a year and a half drivers might feel like they are more in front of the Nintendo Switch than behind the wheel. Not even the slimming treatment (minimum weight reduced by 30 kilos, in the intention) and the downsizing, with the wheelbase of the new cars shortened by 20 centimeters and the width by 10 centimeters, convince almost anyone. Fernando Alonso, for example, doesn’t believe in dieting until he won’t see it: «For me it’s impossible to achieve such a weight reduction with those power units – commented the Spaniard -, as they are 50% electric the batteries will be needed to support them». According to Lewis Hamilton, those cars would simply be “too slow”. Point.
The puzzle of active aerodynamics
If the drivers’ heads are spinning, let alone engineers and team principals. There are those who expose themselves personally like Andrea Stella, boss of McLaren (“The rules must be changed”), others choose prudence, but discontent towards the federation is spreading in the paddock. For a question of method, first of all: the new regulation was discussed at length with the teams, it is true, but they did not like the haste of the FIA, which last Thursday imposed an acceleration by announcing the platform arriving in 18 months without actually granting – at least on paper – further room for discussion. Which instead will happen very soon, or rather they have already happened, because the reform is not convincing first of all on its merits. The team principals met with F1 boss Stefano Domenicali and explained their doubts to him on some issues: in particular, they are concerned about the aerodynamic concept, a radical change wanted above all by Audi to shuffle the cards at the time of its entry into the Circus, and weight reduction, considered difficult to achieve unless excessive spending is required. Nicholas Tombazis has already replied on this point: «We have some areas in which we know that the weight will increase and others in which it will decrease – he explained -, the objective is challenging but in our opinion achievable. We are determined to reduce weight significantly, perhaps for the first time since the 1980s.”
The doubts of the Red
Ferrari is also among the skeptical teams. “I wouldn’t want to exaggerate in adapting the aerodynamics to the new engine,” Frederic Vasseur explained a few days ago, referring to the load reduction imposed by the new power units to reduce drag. The team principal of the Red team considers the text put in black and white by the FIA to be a good basis, on which, however, a lot of work needs to be done. The same active aerodynamics, with both wings to open even in some curves (Z mode) and not just on the straights (X fashions), appears bizarre and also potentially dangerous. Stella was very clear, it was said: «The 2026 cars will be too slow in corners and too fast on the straight – said the McLaren boss -, the time has come to work together with F1 and FIA to find a compromise from which we are very far”. Tombazis holds out his hand: «Ours was only a draft». However, time is running out: the World Council is on 28 June, the rules must be decided within 18 months before they come into force, therefore within 20 days. Unless the teams agree on a deadline waiver.
