Last Updated on November 8 2025, 9:04 pm
Much has been written about the massive technical regulation changes coming in 2026 and most of it not positive. Yet on the plus side Mercedes trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, believes the return to flat floors means there is little chance of the porpoising effect which affect the silver arrows so badly.
Next year the floor designs will return to one’s similar than prior to the 2022 regulation change. Gone will be the Venturi channels which create low pressure and suck the cars onto the track, but there will be a substantially large diffuser at the back of the car.
Shovlin argues even were similar issues to the porpoising effect to occur, the teams are much better placed to deal with them quickly. Even so, some teams will trip up in one area or another as the new extreme aerodynamic changes come into force.
‘F1 teams will trip up with 2026 designs’
“There’s always going to be traps and there’s always going to be teams that are disappointed with the job they’ve done. You would never walk into a new set of regulations thinking it will be straightforward,” Shovlin explained.
“What you would say is that the regulations move back towards the previous generation of cars where you’re unlikely to get the same issues with the porpoising that affected the start of these regs. Even if there were problems like that, with what we’ve learned in the intervening period with the tools we’ve developed to understand aerodynamics, we’d be in a better place to deal with it.
“There is always the challenge of trying to get a new formula balanced because we can do work in the simulators but really until you start running the car on track you don’t know exactly how it’s going to behave.”
George Russell recently claimed that due to the differences and s[pread in the states. Of battery charge and power unit mapping, drivers may find unusual paces to make their overtakes net year. The energy deployment of the F1 cars will become a large part of there drivers’ workload and whilst it will offer further strategic options, the drivers run the risk of losing the position they’ve made later in the lap as the charge runs down.
There will be a shortage of energy
“It’s definitely a big factor in that there is a shortage of energy and you’ve got to do everything you can to harvest as much as possible,” Shovlin adds. “However, across the grid that’s going to be a similar situation for everyone. When you have that energy shortage it does create strategic opportunity for the driver so understanding where you can deploy it.
“There will be examples where it’s relatively easy to pass early on in a lap but you’re going to get retaken later if you actually drove like that. It is the way the formula is going to evolve. I don’t think it will be necessarily a massive performance area but it will be a big factor in terms of the strategic racing,” concluded the Mercedes’ engineer.
Earlier this season the FIA called an extra-ordinary meeting of the powertrain manufacturers in Bahrain. It was proposed that the electrical output of the PU’s be reduced from its current 50% contribution. This was due to a number of teams having simulated the 2026 cars and finding that at certain circuits the drivers were running out of charge at the end of long straights.
Overtaking in unusual places
This led to the unusual sight of an F1 car slowing much earlier than the regular braking points, something which would be farcical to the racing public. Yet the meeting required all but one of the manufacturers to agree to this proposal, however it is believed due to statements they made, both Audi and Honda were reluctant to move the goal posts.
Such is the concern over the racing spectacle next season, the FIA and FOM responded in harmony, threatening an early end to the new highly complex and eye wateringly expensive V6 turbo hybrids. A return to internal V8 combustion engines burning bio fuel with a small electrical boost. – similar to KERS – was suggested, of course this is of no interest to the auto makers given its lack of road car relevance.
However such a move would break the power of the F1 manufacturers and allow third party operations such as Cosworth, to build and supply the simpler and cheaper powertrains.
Now according to Shovlin, the electrical power will be problematic once again. Yet we may see people making overtaking moves in highly unusual areas of the circuits, but if the are to merely be passed back later in the lap – a Sunday afternoon asks becoming something like ‘Wacky Races.’
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F1 ‘wacky races’ or high speed chess
The other outcome could be that the teams become ultra strategic. They will analyse how theoretically get there best out of the battery pack and instruct their drivers to recharge and discharge as their modelling decides. Instead of ‘wacky races’ F1 may become some form of high speed chess, with continuous computer modelling making the race strategy calls – not the driver.
All the recent noise about the failings of the new power units design first started when Christian Horner castigated the direction of travel in 2023, when he described the potential car designs required to manage the V6 hybrids as “Frankenstein monsters.”
For the FIA and FOM to act in harmony in an attempt to change the rules before its too late, there is clearly more than a passing cause for concern. When the tough questions are asked to team bosses and officials alike, the standard response is becoming “let’s wait and see,” which should fill us all with alarm.
Fortunately to detune the electrical component if any of the above scenarios come true is a relatively simple task for the manufacturers. And should the FIA/FOM insist on this move, no hardware adjustments to the designs will be required merely a limiter fitted reducing the battery charge – and sanity may return.
Emergency FIA action over Qatar GP
Just as McLaren had ticked off a variable that could see Max Verstappen steal the title from their drivers, the FIA is about to throw the team another curve ball. The race weekend in Brazil was thought to be a good chance for Verstappen to gain more big points on the McLaren duo, but his RB21 looked lacking in pace during Sprint qualifying.
The early morning weather cam shows people on the beach in Sau Paulo which brings into doubt the weather chaos for the Sprint, most have been predicting. With the Grand Prix set to run in dry conditions, the weekend is looking good for McLaren and not so for the world champion.
Next up Las Vegas too is somewhere the F1 constructors’ champions fear. They lose their tyre advantage in the cold desert night conditions in Nevada something which has aided Mercedes in the past. Further the slippery RB21 goes well along the strip and would be difficult to pass. A weekend McLaren expect to lose ground…. READ MORE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13 and a career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media. Having trained in investigative journalism and contributed to several European sports outlets, Hunt brings rigour and polish to every article. His role is to sharpen analysis, check facts and ensure TJ13’s daily output meets the highest editorial standards.
