2026 Aerodynamic & Chassis Regulations

[zioture]

Hello F1 Technical community,
We at NewsF1.it are excited to share an exclusive deep dive into one of the most debated aerodynamic concepts for the upcoming F1 2026 regulations: the return of rake.
We had the privilege of speaking with Engineer Alberto Maggioni, a highly experienced aerodynamic designer with an F1 career spanning back to 2009 (ex-Toyota, now part of the Sauber Audi Group). His insights offer a direct, expert perspective that goes beyond common speculation.



In our analysis, Maggioni explains:
What Rake Is: A clear definition of the inclined car setup and its historical significance in F1.
Flat Floor vs. Diffuser Design: Why, despite the introduction of a flat floor in 2026, the car's "generous diffuser" might make high-rake setups less advantageous.
The Unlikely Return: Maggioni's professional opinion on why teams are unlikely to "venture down that road" in the initial years of the new regulations, favoring low and stable setups for overall aerodynamic efficiency.
This article provides crucial context for understanding the design philosophy underpinning the F1 2026 cars, directly from someone who is actively involved in pushing the boundaries of F1 aerodynamics.
We invite you to read the full exclusive article and share your thoughts and technical perspectives in the comments section!
Read the full exclusive article here: https://www.newsf1.it/f1-2026-rake-inclined-setup/
Looking forward to your expert opinions on this topic!
Best regards,
Newsf1 - https://www.newsf1.it/category/f1-news-english/

[TeamKoolGreen]

Toto Wolf says that the new cars could hit 400 km/h on the straights.

Everyone talks about the unexpected porpoising problem that came up with the ground effect cars and how hard it was in drivers.

What about going 400 km/h with 30% less over all downforce. And then even less on the straights with the wings dropped ?

Has there been any tests on the attitude of the car when it travels backwards with the wings dropped at 300+ km/h in a spin out situation ? These are the most improvised set of new regs that I have ever seen in any top tier motorsport. They could be creating the most dangerous car we've seen in the last 20 years without knowing it.

[De Wet]

Toto Wolf says that the new cars could hit 400 km/h on the straights.

Everyone talks about the unexpected porpoising problem that came up with the ground effect cars and how hard it was in drivers.

What about going 400 km/h with 30% less over all downforce. And then even less on the straights with the wings dropped ?

Has there been any tests on the attitude of the car when it travels backwards with the wings dropped at 300+ km/h in a spin out situation ? These are the most improvised set of new regs that I have ever seen in any top tier motorsport. They could be creating the most dangerous car we've seen in the last 20 years without knowing it.

Great stuff. Loose another 60kg & 60cm in length with 80% less electrical bs and F1 might be good again.

[lio007]

Toto Wolf says that the new cars could hit 400 km/h on the straights.

Everyone talks about the unexpected porpoising problem that came up with the ground effect cars and how hard it was in drivers.

What about going 400 km/h with 30% less over all downforce. And then even less on the straights with the wings dropped ?

Has there been any tests on the attitude of the car when it travels backwards with the wings dropped at 300+ km/h in a spin out situation ? These are the most improvised set of new regs that I have ever seen in any top tier motorsport. They could be creating the most dangerous car we've seen in the last 20 years without knowing it.

Theoretically yes, but only if the full electrical capacity is used at 1 straight, the rest of the lap would be dead slow.

[FW17]

Hello F1 Technical community,
We at NewsF1.it are excited to share an exclusive deep dive into one of the most debated aerodynamic concepts for the upcoming F1 2026 regulations: the return of rake.
We had the privilege of speaking with Engineer Alberto Maggioni, a highly experienced aerodynamic designer with an F1 career spanning back to 2009 (ex-Toyota, now part of the Sauber Audi Group). His insights offer a direct, expert perspective that goes beyond common speculation.

https://www.newsf1.it/wp-content/upload ... 6-rake.jpg

In our analysis, Maggioni explains:
What Rake Is: A clear definition of the inclined car setup and its historical significance in F1.
Flat Floor vs. Diffuser Design: Why, despite the introduction of a flat floor in 2026, the car's "generous diffuser" might make high-rake setups less advantageous.
The Unlikely Return: Maggioni's professional opinion on why teams are unlikely to "venture down that road" in the initial years of the new regulations, favoring low and stable setups for overall aerodynamic efficiency.
This article provides crucial context for understanding the design philosophy underpinning the F1 2026 cars, directly from someone who is actively involved in pushing the boundaries of F1 aerodynamics.
We invite you to read the full exclusive article and share your thoughts and technical perspectives in the comments section!
Read the full exclusive article here: https://www.newsf1.it/f1-2026-rake-inclined-setup/
Looking forward to your expert opinions on this topic!
Best regards,
Newsf1 - https://www.newsf1.it/category/f1-news-english/

Dellusional to think rake is not coming back.

[FittingMechanics]

Toto Wolf says that the new cars could hit 400 km/h on the straights.

These cars could in theory reach those speeds, but in reality they cannot for several reasons. The most important one is that power from the electrical side is designed to reduce to 0 at 340/345 km/h so we will not have any car reach 400 km/h. If this limitation was removed then maybe, maybe they could do it (with active aero).

Second reason is that going so fast on one straight will not be optimal for laptime so no one will be going for it.

[mzso]

They could be creating the most dangerous car we've seen in the last 20 years without knowing it.

Great stuff. Loose another 60kg & 60cm in length with 80% less electrical bs and F1 might be good again.

I fail to see any connection with what you responded to.

[mzso]

Toto Wolf says that the new cars could hit 400 km/h on the straights.

Everyone talks about the unexpected porpoising problem that came up with the ground effect cars and how hard it was in drivers.

What about going 400 km/h with 30% less over all downforce. And then even less on the straights with the wings dropped ?

Has there been any tests on the attitude of the car when it travels backwards with the wings dropped at 300+ km/h in a spin out situation ? These are the most improvised set of new regs that I have ever seen in any top tier motorsport. They could be creating the most dangerous car we've seen in the last 20 years without knowing it.

How and why would you test that? They would crash and break apart as ever.

But anyway. It'll probably be demonstrated next year after within a few races.

[TeamKoolGreen]

^ maybe because of this ? I guess we'll find out at Monza. Obviously I know Indycar and speedways is different but still.

The Dallara DW12 chassis, specifically when equipped with the 2015 manufacturer-specific aero kits, became notorious for going airborne during high-speed spins.

The Cause: The new "speedway configuration" aero kits, designed to minimize drag for 230+ mph speeds, inadvertently acted like wings when the car traveled in reverse (a state of high yaw). The flat bottoms and lack of rear downforce when backwards allowed air to get underneath and lift the chassis.

[FW17]

[jjn9128]

Dellusional to think rake is not coming back.

The guy's credentials read better than yours. There's rake and then there's RAKE.

[SB15]

Dellusional to think rake is not coming back.

The guy's credentials read better than yours. There's rake and then there's RAKE.

I agree with him. The cars could very well look like the 2018 cars but just smaller is size and dimensions. Matter of fact,
the "coke bottle" shape could also make a return.

[TeamKoolGreen]

Raked cars look wrong. It is so obvious that they are raked to get some kind of defacto venturi effect. Because now , proper venturi's are illegal. I can't think of any other racecar with a rake like that

[Holm86]

A lot of things in the new regulations seems poorly written

[vorticism]

What I posted this summer:

...we might see teams try to make these things more outwashing by various means f.e. a small forward portion of the bargeboard ("floor board") could be situated in opposition to the majority of it. Lower item below.