2026 F1 Cars - General Thread

[f1316]

Lando's lap looks perfectly normal. yelistener is dooming IMO

Looking at telemetry there’s a big difference in lift and coast and deployment though. At once point Max is 6 tenths up, but he ends up 1 tenth down because Lando is deploying more at the end of the straight.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HA5BZFHbUA ... name=large

Quali is going to be a bit of a mess because it’s impossible to tell if a driver is on a good lap until they cross the line. But racing could be interesting because it looks like you can overtake just by not lifting before the braking zone, but you’ll be vulnerable next corner.


I wonder if the slipstream will have a secondary benefit this year of allowing the following car to charge their battery a bit more due to less drag, and then discharge it for an overtake.

This is what I was saying about how the narrative on RB’s electrical deployment seems misleading. He is much faster and deploys much more on the main straight - true; but he pays for it in the rest of the lap (leclerc was also faster than Lando in S1 and then lost way more in the rest of the lap).

So this seems a lot more about deployment strategy than anything else. And yes, it’s going to require some lift and coast at some points…is it a big problem though? Isn’t really the same as managing your soft tyres across a lap so you still have some in the final sector (and not using all the grip, all the time)?

[venkyhere]

I wonder if the slipstream will have a secondary benefit this year of allowing the following car to charge their battery a bit more due to less drag, and then discharge it for an overtake.

Slipstream will be worse than 2022-2025 for sure. Those regs were about sending the wake 'upwards & behind' and these regs are about sending the wake 'behind & behind'. So I expect the chasing car to get within overtaking range (via deployment) only in the final 1 or 2 corners before a long straight. Don't expect to see 2025 like 'following throughout the lap' and then 'be already in range' for the DRS straight overtake. I believe in these regs if the defender learns the deployment strategy of the attacker and does the 'same' button press battery usage as the guy behind, overtaking will not be easy. However, overtaking in 'non-straight' parts of the track involving different driving lines and braking points - well that will be fertile grounds for overtakes.

[mzso]

Only the 3rd element moves on the Mercedes and Aston Martin.

I must be blind, I see only the 3rd element moving?

Yeah... I'm blind

People, including the B Sport guy, have been saying all this time, that if the front wing is attached by the second element (Mercedes, Aston Martin) only the third element will move. But today's first look video clearly shows this is not the case. So what gives?

The reason it appears so is that the first element actually "hides" the leading edge of the second element, but only the third element (the only one that has any meaningful angle of attack) is being moved by the actuator.

And the third element looked like two elements, particularly with the two rows of text.

[FrukostScones]

the rear rotation device operation on the Audi and Cadillac just look plain weird to me. maybe it just the angle of the camera.

[Cassius]

Lando's lap looks perfectly normal. yelistener is dooming IMO

Looking at telemetry there’s a big difference in lift and coast and deployment though. At once point Max is 6 tenths up, but he ends up 1 tenth down because Lando is deploying more at the end of the straight.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HA5BZFHbUA ... name=large

Quali is going to be a bit of a mess because it’s impossible to tell if a driver is on a good lap until they cross the line. But racing could be interesting because it looks like you can overtake just by not lifting before the braking zone, but you’ll be vulnerable next corner.


I wonder if the slipstream will have a secondary benefit this year of allowing the following car to charge their battery a bit more due to less drag, and then discharge it for an overtake.

This is what I was saying about how the narrative on RB’s electrical deployment seems misleading. He is much faster and deploys much more on the main straight - true; but he pays for it in the rest of the lap (leclerc was also faster than Lando in S1 and then lost way more in the rest of the lap).

So this seems a lot more about deployment strategy than anything else. And yes, it’s going to require some lift and coast at some points…is it a big problem though? Isn’t really the same as managing your soft tyres across a lap so you still have some in the final sector (and not using all the grip, all the time)?

What you refer to is just the deployment strategy within the lap.

Toto mentioned not the one-lap performance of RB, but the amount of consistent deployment over a long number of laps. This has to do with ability to regen, MGU-K efficiency, etc. This is where the discussion is about.

[FNTC]

the rear rotation device operation on the Audi and Cadillac just look plain weird to me. maybe it just the angle of the camera.

The Aston as well at 1:05, they invert the rear wing so it creates lift instead of downforce, it seems.

[vas_04614]

the rear rotation device operation on the Audi and Cadillac just look plain weird to me. maybe it just the angle of the camera.

The Aston as well at 1:05, they invert the rear wing so it creates lift instead of downforce, it seems.

Why can't I see clear gap in Rear wing when it's open on straight for Aston?

[FNTC]

The Aston as well at 1:05, they invert the rear wing so it creates lift instead of downforce, it seems.

Why can't I see clear gap in Rear wing when it's open on straight for Aston?

Because the 2nd flap almost flips around so it is angled down. See image above from behind.

[f1316]

Looking at telemetry there’s a big difference in lift and coast and deployment though. At once point Max is 6 tenths up, but he ends up 1 tenth down because Lando is deploying more at the end of the straight.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HA5BZFHbUA ... name=large

Quali is going to be a bit of a mess because it’s impossible to tell if a driver is on a good lap until they cross the line. But racing could be interesting because it looks like you can overtake just by not lifting before the braking zone, but you’ll be vulnerable next corner.


I wonder if the slipstream will have a secondary benefit this year of allowing the following car to charge their battery a bit more due to less drag, and then discharge it for an overtake.

This is what I was saying about how the narrative on RB’s electrical deployment seems misleading. He is much faster and deploys much more on the main straight - true; but he pays for it in the rest of the lap (leclerc was also faster than Lando in S1 and then lost way more in the rest of the lap).

So this seems a lot more about deployment strategy than anything else. And yes, it’s going to require some lift and coast at some points…is it a big problem though? Isn’t really the same as managing your soft tyres across a lap so you still have some in the final sector (and not using all the grip, all the time)?

What you refer to is just the deployment strategy within the lap.

Toto mentioned not the one-lap performance of RB, but the amount of consistent deployment over a long number of laps. This has to do with ability to regen, MGU-K efficiency, etc. This is where the discussion is about.

I said it was deployment strategy - I understand what the discussion is about.

My point is that he’s cherry picking data points. If I remember correctly, his comments were that Max was consistently one second per lap quick *on the straight* not just on one lap but many laps in a row. I don’t have the data from all the laps he’s referring to but, using this one as a reference, it seems quite likely that, yes, he may be faster on the straights but slower elsewhere. This would be the case if their deployment strategy was simply different than others on long runs, not necessity that they have more electrical energy to deploy lap after lap.

[mzso]

the rear rotation device operation on the Audi and Cadillac just look plain weird to me. maybe it just the angle of the camera.

The Aston as well at 1:05, they invert the rear wing so it creates lift instead of downforce, it seems.

Maybe it just ends up decreasing wake turbulence with some downwash?
On the other hand if the underbody downforce is strong canceling some of it out would bring efficiency benefits

The Aston as well at 1:05, they invert the rear wing so it creates lift instead of downforce, it seems.

It looked weird on the first look video, the sponsors changing on the rear wing.
Otherwise wouldn't have been able to tell that the wing was activated.

[michl420]

Is flex for the rear wing still helpfull or are this dots on the wings usless now?

[Badger]

Verstappen on the 2026 cars. https://www.planetf1.com/news/verstappe ... uit-threat

“To drive, not a lot of fun to be honest,”

“I would say the right word is management, but, at the other end, I also know how much work has been going on in the background, also, from the engine side for the guys,” he continued.

“So it’s not always the nicest thing to say, but I also want to be realistic as for as a driver, the feeling is not very F1-like. It feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids.

“But the rules are the same for everyone, so you have to deal with that. That’s also not my problem, because I’m all for that and equal chances.

“I don’t mind that, but, as a pure driver, I enjoy driving flat out, and, at the moment, you cannot drive like that.”

“A winning car, for me, that doesn’t matter,” he said, when asked if his opinion would change depending on the level of competitiveness of the RB22.

“It needs to be fun to drive as well. I think, at this stage of my career. I mean, I am, of course, also exploring other things outside of Formula 1 to have fun at.

“I know that we’re stuck with this regulation for quite a while. So, yeah, let’s see.”

“The livery looks great, the car looks great. Obviously, the proportion of the car looks good. I think that’s not the problem,” he said.

“It’s just everything else that is a bit, for me, anti racing.

“Probably people will not be happy with me saying this right now, but I am outspoken, and why am I not allowed to say what I think of my race car?

“I can’t help that. I mean, I didn’t write the regulation. If it was up to non-political aspects of making a regulation, the car would have probably very different origins. But yeah, that’s how it is.”

“A lot of what you do as a driver, in terms of inputs, have a massive effect on the energy side of things,” he said.

“For me, yeah, that’s just not Formula 1, because then it maybe better to drive Formula E, right?

“Because that’s all about energy efficiency and management, and that’s what they stand for. So, driving-wise, not so fun.

“But at the same time, I also know what is at stake with the team, our own engine, and seeing the excitement of the people. They know when I sit in the car, I will always give it my very best. But excitement levels not so high to drive.”

[venkyhere]

^^ Guy has balls. To criticize the origin of the regulations, that can only come from a person who is self-assured and doesn't care for PR. Truly outspoken.

[venkyhere]

https://racingnews365.com/why-unusual-m ... troversial

It later emerged that the Dutchman — and also Audi — is using these downshifts as a way of charging the battery and having more energy available on the straights.

It is certainly a technique that appears to work well, particularly for the four-time F1 drivers' champion. However, other teams — or rather other power unit manufacturers — are not adopting it, including Mercedes and Ferrari.

The reason behind the different approach taken by Mercedes and Ferrari, who tend to rely more heavily on lift-and-coast as their preferred energy recovery technique — a method that Hamilton himself has openly criticised as unnatural for a driver, especially in qualifying — is that although Red Bull's solution has proven highly effective, it also comes with significant drawbacks.

On the one hand, it is undeniable that increasing the number of gear changes per lap — multiplied over the distance of an entire race — raises gearbox wear and could also contribute to greater tyre degradation.

I am unable to picturize how downshifting is going to increase tyre wear. Someone please help me understand.

[dren]

It'll be hilarious if he wins another title and says "see ya, these cars suck", and jumps into other series.