2026 F1 Cars - General Thread

[continuum16]

Given that it’s 2026 and yet still every spy shot looks like the Zapruder film, at first glance you could have told me this is a GP2 car from like 2010 (edit: minus the sidepod fairings obviously) and I would maybe have believed you. I guess we will have to wait a bit longer for clearer images of a real car.

[edu2703]

Given that it’s 2026 and yet still every spy shot looks like the Zapruder film, at first glance you could have told me this is a GP2 car from like 2010 (edit: minus the sidepod fairings obviously) and I would maybe have believed you. I guess we will have to wait a bit longer for clearer images of a real car.

I can only blame the teams for being so secretive about their cars. We'll have an entire pre-season session behind closed doors because the teams are afraid of engine failures.

Obviously, this won't prevent leaks, but we'll have to make do with grainy photos and videos taken from a distance or any footage released by the teams themselves with the cars on the track, which obviously won't reveal much. Unless someone is bold enough to fly a drone around the circuit with a professional camera.

[vorticism]

Some guesses at what we’ll see in a couple of months:

Front pushrod. The front wing pressure distribution has changed. The largest part of the wing is now outboard, the opposite of the 2022 formula which had the largest part of the wing inboard. This will alter the flow fields between the front wheels.
...
Rake. The question is how much. The rear wing allowance seems small relative to the size of the front wing, and there are no beam wings. Use rake to increase overall downforce that is necessarily rearward of the front axle. That said--does rake conflict with using higher center of gravity pushrods at the rear.
...

Audi’s car:

[jjn9128]

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Couldn't find any LOWER definition pics?

[Longley]

I can only blame the teams for being so secretive about their cars. We'll have an entire pre-season session behind closed doors because the teams are afraid of engine failures.

I thought that the Barcelona Test is behind closed doors because Bahrain paid money to be the first test, but maybe I am wrong.
But I understand the point you are making.

[edu2703]

Some glimpses of the car posted by Audi on IG

[madridista]

any chance thats an opening?

it reminded me of this post from vorticism some time ago https://www.f1technical.net/forum/viewt ... 2#p1306202

different angle and zoom, shadow in that region again:

[vorticism]

Thanks for that.

Edit: Looking at more photos, it doesn't seem like there is anything unusual in that region. There appear to be normal louvers in the photo directly above your post, and a normal sized central cannon outlet. What is clear is that the sidepod has a pronounced curvature across the top.

[edu2703]

Someone on r/formula1 posted enhanced frames from the video: https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/comme ... s_it_gets/

[continuum16]

I love new regulations because after spending 3-4 years carefully refining intricately-sculpted bodywork under the previous rules, we get very simple shapes, like sidepods that look straight out of 2016.

Obviously things will be iterated on quite quickly, and I know why teams start with a more simple package (especially with new engine regs). But I still think it’s funny. I’ll never forget how simple cars like the 2017 Williams were are launch, before they became full of slots and vortex generators everywhere.

[PlatinumZealot]

Tight side pods are back.
Rake is back.

Audi running a very basic floor and front wing for now.

Very conservative side pod openings. These engines will be less efficient and less powerful at the same time. So the big openings are interesting.

I love how nimble the car looks already though.

[GrizzleBoy]

Front wing gives a very 2007 look from front profile

[Badger]

Where's the third RW element?

[F310AlexB]

Nice looking car. But i dont like the edges of the front wing. They should look like a 2000-2004 Front wing. Thank God The Front wing is not so curved it looked even in sice left to right.

[quincalla]

Discussing ai "enhanced" images is very silly. It's not enhancing anything, it's just making up the details.