Aston Martin Formula One driver Lance Stroll has ridiculed the 2026 F1 car and new regulations, calling the whole exercise a “science project” championship. For the first time in the history of premier class racing, cars will run on 50 percent electric power starting next year, with the other half coming from a conventional internal combustion unit powered by sustainable fuels.
2026 marks the year when F1 enters a new era of regulations. The cars will be lighter and slightly more compact than the current ground effect cars. The 2026 car has been designed to promote closer racing that supports easy overtaking. One of the most standout features will be active aerodynamics on both the front and rear wings, which will replace the current Drag Reduction System.
The active aerodynamics will reportedly feature two modes: X-mode for drag reduction on the straights and Z-mode for increased downforce on corners. A manual override system will provide the extra electrical energy for a power boost while overtaking.
However, there has been much skepticism from several F1 personalities about whether the cars will enable close racing, especially when they run out of electric energy during races. Stroll expressed his disappointment with the new regulations. He said:
“We’ll get a bit of an idea in the test and then in Australia, but the regulations, I think, are a bit sad.
“I have driven it in the sim, and that’s why I’m a bit sad. It is a shame that in Formula 1, we’re taking the path of electric energy, and we’ve had to take all the downforce off to support the battery power.
“It would just be fun to see some light, nimble, fast cars with lots of downforce, and just to simplify the whole thing a little bit, so less of an energy battery championship science project and more of a Formula 1 racing championship.
“So I don’t love the idea of the new regulations, and I think a lot of the drivers can agree on that, and I don’t think some of them can talk about it for political reasons.
“It is exciting to think about cars that can scream a little louder, be lighter and just not depend or focus so much on energy or batteries or the power train, that is not very racey.”
Stroll’s concerns could be valid, and it is likely that F1 and its governing body, the FIA, agree with the general feeling. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem admitted that the current cars are complicated and expensive to develop. Thus, the sport could revert to V8 engines by 2029. He said:
“The current engine is so complicated, you have no idea, and it is costly. R&D [research and development] is reaching $200 million, and the engine is costing approximately $1.8m to $2.1m, so if we go with a straight V8, let’s see.
“Many of the manufacturers produce V8s in their cars, so commercially it’s correct. How much is it? You drop it. The target is more than 50% in everything.”
“To us, the V8 is happening. With the teams now, I’m very optimistic, happy about it. FOM [Formula One Management] are supportive, the teams are realising it is the right way.
“We need to do it soon… you need three years, so hopefully by 2029 we have something there, but the fuel is also very expensive, and we have to be very careful with that. Transmissions are very expensive.”
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