Are 2026 F1 regulations broken? How to fix them?

[carisi2k]

Bringing back the MGUH even if it was technically feasible would do too little to fix these engines. It would help energy recovery and provide more input into the system but you'd still be energy starved because of the much bigger MGUK. Once the battery depletion occurs you would still drop from 1000hp at full throttle to 550+80 = 630hp - still highly dangerous. In the old regs clipping at full throttle would only drop you from 1000hp to 850+80 = 930hp - much more manageable.

Except you could use the excess power the h generates to keep filling up the battery or powering the k directly and total recovery could be 12mj instead of only 6-9.5mj. The MGU-h used to produce a lot more power then the 4MJ but it was used to spool the turbo.

[gearboxtrouble]

Bringing back the MGUH even if it was technically feasible would do too little to fix these engines. It would help energy recovery and provide more input into the system but you'd still be energy starved because of the much bigger MGUK. Once the battery depletion occurs you would still drop from 1000hp at full throttle to 550+80 = 630hp - still highly dangerous. In the old regs clipping at full throttle would only drop you from 1000hp to 850+80 = 930hp - much more manageable.

Except you could use the excess power the h generates to keep filling up the battery or powering the k directly and total recovery could be 12mj instead of only 6-9.5mj. The MGU-h used to produce a lot more power then the 4MJ but it was used to spool the turbo.

The MGUH harvesting made a difference when the MGUK was only 120KW. Now that is 3x that that extra energy will make a difference but hardly enough. The direct 80hp or so it sent to the K on battery depletion is also far too small. It worked with a 160hp MGUK and a 850hp ICE because you'd only drop to 930hp once clipping started. It makes little practical difference with a 450hp MGUK and a 550hp ICE - you drop to 630hp and that's a major problem.

[Tommy Cookers]

also the fuel heat rate is 30% less than with the old system
so (we might think) the MGU-H output now would be 30% less

[gearboxtrouble]

also the fuel heat rate is 30% less than with the old system
so (we might think) the MGU-H output now would be 30% less

Does it really work that way? I assume the turbo inertia is what matters more than the energy density of the fuels.

[leblanc]

also the fuel heat rate is 30% less than with the old system
so (we might think) the MGU-H output now would be 30% less

Does it really work that way? I assume the turbo inertia is what matters more than the energy density of the fuels.

lower fuel heat rate results in lower exhaust flow. 18-25% less if fuel heat rate is 30%.

[Rikhart]

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... Id6R7oZjFv

So I feel this is pretty much what is possible with this abomination we have right now, short term. Maybe next year they can start thinking about real changes, especially reduce the dependence on batteries, especially one that provides such a portion of the available power.

[gearboxtrouble]

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/arti ... Id6R7oZjFv

So I feel this is pretty much what is possible with this abomination we have right now, short term. Maybe next year they can start thinking about real changes, especially reduce the dependence on batteries, especially one that provides such a portion of the available power.

I'm not sure its enough, you'll still see the onboards have to cut away to hide the new even more potent superclipping and the deployment changes will amount to only a handful of extra seconds of deployment over a lap. They need more drastic MGUK reductions for 26 to restore the sporting aspect of F1. I also hope they have some real ICE improvements planned for 2027, a 580hp fuel restricted cap isn't enough and needs to rise dramatically to restore performance closer to the last engines. The manufacturers need as much time as possible to make and test a 20-30% fuel increase.

[JordanMugen]

I hope the regulation changes help, but wish the FIA went further.

I guess retaining 55:45 for at least some acceleration zones was important for marketing reasons.

I would have liked to have seen 5.0-6.0MJ per lap limits (+0.5MJ for overtake) in both qualifying and racing, and max. 250 kW MGU-H deployment at all times not just outside of "main acceleration zones".

[peewon]

I hope the regulation changes help, but wish the FIA went further.

I guess retaining 55:45 for at least some acceleration zones was important for marketing reasons.

I would have liked to have seen 5.0-6.0MJ per lap limits (+0.5MJ for overtake) in both qualifying and racing, and max. 250 kW MGU-H deployment at all times not just outside of "main acceleration zones".

I think the drop in lap times might have reached embarrassing thresholds then. I heard somewhere around 2 second slower to get down to 6.0MJ.

[michl420]

Can someone explain this reduce to 250 kw instead of 350 kw. On which part of the track does this happen?

[Stu]

Can someone explain this reduce to 250 kw instead of 350 kw. On which part of the track does this happen?

Just thinking that myself!
If 350kW is available from corner exit to braking point, the only place where they will be limited to 250kW is between braking point & corner exit!
Surely it will be argued that all acceleration zones are important!!?
A more sensible version would be the flip side of that, unless the important acceleration zones are limited to areas of the track where the aero is trimmed out.

[Rikhart]

I hope the regulation changes help, but wish the FIA went further.

I guess retaining 55:45 for at least some acceleration zones was important for marketing reasons.

I would have liked to have seen 5.0-6.0MJ per lap limits (+0.5MJ for overtake) in both qualifying and racing, and max. 250 kW MGU-H deployment at all times not just outside of "main acceleration zones".

I think the drop in lap times might have reached embarrassing thresholds then. I heard somewhere around 2 second slower to get down to 6.0MJ.

At this point, I will take pilots being able to drive more to the limit rather than caring about lap times. I think most people will think like that.

[BorisTheBlade]

Can someone explain this reduce to 250 kw instead of 350 kw. On which part of the track does this happen?

As I understand it, they will define further zones per each track. So in addition to Straight Mode Zones, we get Medium and High Deployment Zones.

[Rikhart]

Can someone explain this reduce to 250 kw instead of 350 kw. On which part of the track does this happen?

As I understand it, they will define further zones per each track. So in addition to Straight Mode Zones, we get Medium and High Deployment Zones.

Band aids on top of band aids, oh well. They keep making it more and more convoluted because the base regulation is terrible.

[De Wet]