With the 2026 Formula 1 season beginning in March, the cars are getting a massive revamp. The race cars will be getting a smaller chassis, a new power unit, and much more. In general, the new season brings with it some of the biggest regulation changes in a long time. The car’s smaller size is probably the biggest change of them all.
“The cars will be shorter, narrower, lighter and nimbler. The wheelbase has been shortened, which in theory means they should be more responsive through corners,” Lawrence Baretto of the Formula 1 website said.
In addition to the cars being smaller, they will also be lighter than the past season.
“The minimum car weight for F1’s new rules era has been set at 768kg, 32kg down on the 2025 limit of 800kg. That comes despite an increase in battery weight to accommodate a near 50-50 split of internal combustion power and [electric] energy,” Fillip Cleeren of Motorsport.com said.
In addition to the cars being lighter, DRS (Drag Reduction System – a feature which either gives the cars a higher top speed or higher cornering speed) will also be removed this season, instead the cars will have “active aero.”
“The cars can adjust the angle of both their front and rear wing elements depending on where they are on track. In the corners, the flaps stay shut in their default position to maintain grip. On designated straights, drivers can activate low-drag mode, which opens the flaps and flattens the wings, reducing drag and boosting top speed,” Baretto said.
Another change coming to the cars includes new engines, is a new split of gas and electric power.
“The core is still a 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid, the power balance has shifted significantly. From 2026, the internal combustion engine output has been cut while the electric motor has tripled, meaning we’ve got roughly a 50-50 power split between petrol and electric,” Barretto said.
Alongside the new engines, another big change coming to F1 is the addition of an eleventh team: Cadillac. They are the second American team in the sport, and the team is also bringing two veteran drivers back.
“The Cadillac Formula 1 Team today announced the signing of two, star drivers – 10-time Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas and fellow F1 standout and six-time Grand Prix winner Sergio “Checo” Pérez – to lead the team into its debut season in Formula 1 in 2026,” Cadillac said.
Another interesting fact about the new Formula 1 season is that there will be 100% sustainable fuel as a part of the effort to have net zero emissions by 2030.
“As part of F1’s plans to be Net Zero Carbon by 2030, the sport is pioneering a ‘drop-in’ 100% sustainable fuel that can not only be used in F1 cars from 2026 but crucially can be utilized by most road cars across the world, ” Baretto said.
Overall, 2026 brings all sorts of new changes that open the door for heated up competition.
“Formula 1 cars will continue to be fast, to be cool, to be awe-inspiring to watch. But from 2026, they will be more challenging for the teams and the drivers. They’ll have to deal with new tech and tighter rules,” Baretto said.
