2026 Aerodynamic & Chassis Regulations

[Holm86]

https://youtu.be/hrIJjCc19AM?si=FIbluSr8cROd2hAc

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.

https://i.postimg.cc/L8sjRd9B/2026strakesbargeboard.jpg

Yes i remember you made some awesome sketches, I just don't get it, if outwash is the FIA's biggest enemy, why do they half-ass the regulations so it's that easy to create outwash again

[Xyz22]

https://youtu.be/hrIJjCc19AM?si=FIbluSr8cROd2hAc

A lot of things in the new regulations seems poorly written

F1 teams will easily outplay the FIA once again

[FW17]

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.

Car will likely be raked when both wings are closed for the good low speed front end performance that was feature of pre 2022 cars.
When both wings are open designers will want car to be off the ground at the T tray edge and rear to have the floor produce the least amount of downforce, they probably will be helped by regulations of front wing opening which was not possible in the past.

[FW17]

Last F1 3 element rear wings from 2002

[vorticism]

https://youtu.be/hrIJjCc19AM?si=FIbluSr8cROd2hAc

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.
https://i.postimg.cc/L8sjRd9B/2026strakesbargeboard.jpg

...if outwash is the FIA's biggest enemy, why do they half-ass the regulations so it's that easy to create outwash again

I think it's too early to judge the ruleset and how its written. While the front third of the floor board could be turned outward, it's still only just, and within a narrow box, and the entire box itself is still angled inward. It seems like it would mainly reduce the efficacy of the floor board, not necessarily convert it into an outwashing wing or whatever is being suggested. The big gains with outwash, if advantageous, would seem to be found with the sidepod, imo. For example:

...a sidepod that is strongly outwashing at the blunt front end and inwashing along most of its trailing surface. In contrast to a traditional coke-bottle engine cover which I would describe as outwashing at the front and downwashing along its trailing surface.

[BorisTheBlade]

Could you shed some light as to why outwash is so desired? Is this to protect/seal the underfloor from dirty air?
Also: Doesn't it induce quite a lot of drag, if you try to counter inwashing components with outwashing surfaces later on?
I could imagine, that being as aero-efficient as possible is of high priority in this energy-efficiency formula.

[michl420]

The maxium rear wing size next year is around half of 2025 and even that one is gone at straight line. I imagine drag will be no problem next year. They will go for downforce at every price.

[vorticism]

That seems like a good guess. Also another reason to use rake, imo. There was also the story about updating the regs to include an extra mode for rain races to avoid "the nose scraping into the ground," or maybe it was the t-tray, when the wings were demanded to be closed including near V max. Either way, they said some sort of front contact first, not even plank contact, which to me implies they are running sims with enough rake to cause this.

Could you shed some light as to why outwash is so desired? Is this to protect/seal the underfloor from dirty air?
Also: Doesn't it induce quite a lot of drag, if you try to counter inwashing components with outwashing surfaces later on?
I could imagine, that being as aero-efficient as possible is of high priority in this energy-efficiency formula.

If those are for me: What I posted in August was simply noting “this could be done.” If the floor board is generally detrimental then you may want to reduce its efficacy. If it's beneficial then you may want to enhance its efficacy, which is what I guessed at in the more recent post. There is a new, large wing on the side of the car so I would be inclined to test the effect of directing clean air at it with the sidepod/engine cover.