“I’ve been spending quite a lot of time at the factory, seeing the progress in the wind tunnel, also going to HPP [High Performance Powertrains], seeing the progress on the dyno.
“So definitely, it looks promising, but we don’t know what the others are doing, and I think the most important [thing], when we go for the first test in Barcelona, [is] having a reliable car, being able to put the laps in, and then make the most learning.
The question is whether there will be an identifiable area of development that can be "mined" for consistent, continuous performance gains like mass flow between the rear tyre and the side of the diffuser was from pretty much 2009 to 2021 (what the ever-tightening "coke bottle" rear ends and slanted sidepods were aiming to improve [less bodywork volume = better, to put it without nuance]), if yes, then an "extreme" design is very much desired and should not be compromised upon in the pursuit of seizing the opportunity to get a head start on others (the ability to do this better is what the main advantage of being a works team will once again -initially - be in the new rules set, IF there is such an area of development that is pinponted by someone early)....
interesting...From what I've heard #Mercedes does NOT have plans in the coming days to hit the track for a filming session in Barcelona with the W17
link- McLaren's big fear: why factory power could prove crucial in F1's 2026 reset
With more factory-backed teams than customers and a ruleset that rewards integration, 2026 could mark Formula 1's return to a manufacturers' championship
..But the unintended consequence is that chassis teams dependent on a third-party supplier will face an uphill task. Every interaction between power unit and aero will become more decisive, and nothing defines a works team more than the ability to design these elements as a single product rather than two separate systems bolted together.
Why the 2026 rules may amplify factory advantages
Two pillars define the 2026 chassis-power unit relationship: active aero and energy management. Both reward integration and close cooperation between design departments, and expose the limits of customer structures.
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Active aero compounds this effect. Cars will alternate between two aerodynamic modes, forcing teams to design cars whose cooling and bodywork work just as well in both. Works teams can design their power unit cooling, battery placement and exhaust routing with those transitions in mind. Customer teams must instead adapt their aero philosophy to a power unit conceived around someone else’s priorities.
Energy deployment is also no longer an isolated performance tool. In 2026 it becomes structurally linked to aero behaviour, with electric power compensating for drag reduction and shaping how aggressively teams can run low-drag modes. That places battery cooling and MGU-K integration at the heart of aerodynamic performance – an area where factory teams hold a decisive coordination advantage.
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There is also a strategic dimension: factory teams can plan power unit improvements with specific chassis upgrades in mind, while customers must adapt to whatever update cycle the manufacturer chooses. In a tightly regulated environment with limited testing, that developmental synchronicity will matter.
