2026 Aerodynamic & Chassis Regulations

[Hoffman900]

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Dow ... _228616843
Flat floor(plate floor) vs venturi floor. With and without vortex generators.

Venturi floors have a higher peak and a much steeper falloff.

[hsg]

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Dow ... _228616843
Flat floor(plate floor) vs venturi floor. With and without vortex generators.

Venturi floors have a higher peak and a much steeper falloff.

Is floor for 2026 flat+diff or venturi?

[Hoffman900]

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Dow ... _228616843
Flat floor(plate floor) vs venturi floor. With and without vortex generators.

Venturi floors have a higher peak and a much steeper falloff.

Is floor for 2026 flat+diff or venturi?

I believe they’re mostly going back to a flat floor. Look at previous iterations and you can see the VG’s are either on the leading edge or they’re on the barge boards.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Sch ... _228616843

[hsg]

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Dow ... _228616843
Flat floor(plate floor) vs venturi floor. With and without vortex generators.

Venturi floors have a higher peak and a much steeper falloff.

Is floor for 2026 flat+diff or venturi?

I believe they’re mostly going back to a flat floor. Look at previous iterations and you can see the VG’s are either on the leading edge or they’re on the barge boards.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Sch ... _228616843

Do we have 2026 written regulation, so we can find rules for floor?

[mzso]

How much shorter are the '26 cars expected to be? (or prescribed to be) Not this short I assume. I assume crash structure performance might limit how short FIA-approved cars could become. Regardless, one goal looking forward could be to make Monaco less precessional via narrower and shorter cars.

https://i.postimg.cc/N0dnDWNN/s1.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/76bWWmdq/s2.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/3R6c52Qm/s3.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/cCn5s6dj/s4.jpg

I don't think crash structure limits anything. Stuff, including crash structures, would just be bulkier with a shorter car.

[Hoffman900]

Everyone keeps talking safety, but IndyCar drivers routinely walk away from 90-100g plus crashes, and those cars are lighter (in speedway trim) and significantly shorter.

I’m not convinced a F1 car would survive / driver fair as well on a crash on an oval.

[mzso]

Everyone keeps talking safety, but IndyCar drivers routinely walk away from 90-100g plus crashes, and those cars are lighter (in speedway trim) and significantly shorter.

I’m not convinced a F1 car would survive / driver fair as well on a crash on an oval.

What are the differences in size and weight?

[Hoffman900]

Everyone keeps talking safety, but IndyCar drivers routinely walk away from 90-100g plus crashes, and those cars are lighter (in speedway trim) and significantly shorter.

I’m not convinced a F1 car would survive / driver fair as well on a crash on an oval.

What are the differences in size and weight?

IndyCar:
1785lbs (809.6kg) in RR trim,
1740lbs (789kg) in oval trim.

Excluding driver which is set at 185lbs (84kg). Also excludes fuel (70L when full)

With fuel (methanol) they’re around 2050-2092lbs (930-949kg) sitting in the grid w/driver.

The hybrid added 105lbs (47kg) to the cars.

Length: 201in (5.1m)
Width: 75.5in - 76.5in (1.91-1.94m)

F1:
1764lbs (800kg) with driver, excludes fuel (130L - ish).

Length: 222in (5.63m)
Width: 78.77in (2m)

With fuel, just a little over 2,000lbs (908kg)

I was wrong about lighter as I forgot Indy is w/o driver and F1 is. IndyCar being a spec series, there isn’t any incentive for the suppliers to take out weight to the n’th degree like F1 can, which would increase costs.

[mzso]

That rather sheds a positive light on their crash safety. Being heavier but and shorter, the car still protects the drivers well, in heavy oval circuit crashes.

[vorticism]

After 12 long, monotonous, droning, what you might call vacuum-cleaner-esque seasons, Red Bull might finally get air-water intercoolers with RBPT/Ford. Will Newey suggest air-air intercoolers for AMR-Honda? Or were they always chosen at the behest of the power unit manufacturer? As what might have been Red Bull's case 2014-2025 with Renault & Honda. Renault iirc introduced their air-water IC after RB had switched to Honda, and Honda have yet to develop one for F1. That too might change, if it was part of Honda's own preparations for 2026, or requested on the part of AMR.