2026 car comparisons

[Badger]

All the cars we've seen on track so far and the best images available.



Cadillac

Audi


So far I'd say Merc looks the most advanced in terms of tight packaging and innovative bits. Second is VCARB. Third Alpine.

[chlebekf1]

Mercedes 1 Alpine 2

[Badger]

[lio007]

I think with Cadillac, Ferrari and Merc we have 3 teams having a diffuser opening.

Cadillac

[vorticism]

Merc and Ferrari:
-Similar sidepod undercuts
-Front wings preferencing installation stiffness. Merc centered the pylons within the wing area by way of the second element, which limits the FWAS to a single element. Ferrari carries both the center and the front of the wing area by way of a large first element, which allows a smaller two-element FWAS

All cars:
-They have the new side indicators. Very visible on the Ferrari. Little rectangular LED lights.

[Giando]

where i've seen those Ferrari and Mercedes sidepod shape before?

mmmm

[f1316]

where i've seen those Ferrari and Mercedes sidepod shape before?

mmmm

https://i.ibb.co/cKw2sGSK/Screenshot-20 ... -39-32.png

Yes, I’ve said this a few places but there’s definite trend towards the “coanda” style sidepods from 2012/13 (of the McLaren variety) this year. I guess it makes sense that they want to feed the diffuser airflow in a similar sense to how they wanted to feed it hot exhaust gases, but I do now wonder if it’s this diffuser “hole” trick that has pushed them in that direction now.

[vorticism]

You both raise an interesting point, to me at least. Those Coanda type sidepods lofted the exhaust over top the inflow arriving from the undercut. If they end up using big cooling louvers or sidepod cannons it might again be a way to loft a heated airstream over the undercut inwash. Not necessarily to energize the diffuser but simply to steer the efflux through the rear suspension members which cause drag & turbulence anyway, so why not blast them with the radiator efflux while the diffuser gets clean undercut inwash. If the Meredith effect can be achieved below 300kph via tuned, short path ducting (sidepod cannons, f.e.) then the radiator outflow could be slightly more energetic than ambient airflow, in which case, maybe you would want them to feed the diffuser. Radiator blown diffuser.

All told I see one major potential differentiation available across teams: a FWAS that has either one, two, or four rotating flaps. Another less visible one will be the choice to use a hydraulic piston or an electromechanical actuator.

Already all three FWAS variations have been seen.
4-element: VCARB, Ferrari, Haas
2-element: RB (rendering)
1-element: Mercedes

Correct me if I'm wrong but the regulations seem to indicate the there are also three potential rear wing variations:
1-element rear wing with no RWAS
2-element rear wing with 1-element RWAS
3-element rear wing with 2-element RWAS (all we've seen yet)

[BassVirolla]

You both raise an interesting point, to me at least. Those Coanda type sidepods lofted the exhaust over top the inflow arriving from the undercut. If they end up using big cooling louvers or sidepod cannons it might again be a way to loft a heated airstream over the undercut inwash. Not necessarily to energize the diffuser but simply to steer the efflux through the rear suspension members which cause drag & turbulence anyway, so why not blast them with the radiator efflux while the diffuser gets clean undercut inwash. If the Meredith effect can be achieved below 300kph via tuned, short path ducting (sidepod cannons, f.e.) then the radiator outflow could be slightly more energetic than ambient airflow, in which case, maybe you would want them to feed the diffuser. Radiator blown diffuser.

All told I see one major potential differentiation available across teams: a FWAS that has either one, two, or four rotating flaps. Another less visible one will be the choice to use a hydraulic piston or an electromechanical actuator.

Already all three FWAS variations have been seen.
4-element: VCARB, Ferrari, Haas
2-element: RB (rendering)
1-element: Mercedes

Correct me if I'm wrong but the regulations seem to indicate the there are also three potential rear wing variations:
1-element rear wing with no RWAS
2-element rear wing with 1-element RWAS
3-element rear wing with 2-element RWAS (all we've seen yet)

Not for discrediting your ideas, but Meredith effect has been discussed before, and does not seem feasible for low speeds and "weird" sections (the effect seems very sensitive to the shape of the duct, as well as proportions of inlet vs outlet (looks like too much volume / section for an F1).

Nevertheless, if you could give some relevant insight, I'll be more than happy to know, and aknowledge it. I'm not an expert in aero nor thermodynamics, I just say what I've read some time ago.

[euv2]

[Emag]

With regards to the diffuser slot "loophole", I think it's probably not as big of a loophole as I initially thought.

It's apparently present (in a basic form) on the FIA finalized render :

[vorticism]

RBR arriving with a narrow engine cover compared to Merc and Ferrari's intentionally wide sidepods. RBR also bring the first sidepod cannon exits i.e. large louvers. What will Newey bring with AMR? There will have been some cross pollination given that Newey exited RBR while the '26 car would have been in development.

Not for discrediting your ideas, but Meredith effect has been discussed before, and does not seem feasible for low speeds and "weird" sections (the effect seems very sensitive to the shape of the duct, as well as proportions of inlet vs outlet (looks like too much volume / section for an F1).

For lack of a better term I use it, because it simply implies otherwise higher radiator efflux velocity--if it can approach free stream velocity (ambient airspeed) then it could be put to beneficial use with other aero components. In this context it wouldn't be about producing thrust, necessarily, only that it might not be consider dirty air as it usually is.

[euv2]

Red bulls diffuser hole looks quite weird, I think it's because we can't see the top and the side of the diffuser sidewalls join together.

[AR3-GP]

Now that we've seen the pictures of Mclaren and Red Bull, it's proving my theory that there was some intense cross pollination between Mercedes and Ferrari.

[euv2]

Now that we've seen the pictures of Mclaren and Red Bull, it's proving my theory that there was some intense cross pollination between Mercedes and Ferrari.

https://x.com/Motor_Sport/status/201571 ... 99797?s=20




MCL and FER are quite similar too. I think the rest of the team have more differentiation.