For Horner, the FA has listened to fears about “Frankenstein cars”
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner believes that the leaders of Formula 1 and the FIA, have listened and responded to the concerns that some had previously expressed about the risk of "Frankenstein cars" during the new F1 2026 regulations.
As Formula 1 continues its preparations regarding the new engine and chassis rules from 2026, there have been some questions from teams regarding the regulations leading to unintended and possibly harmful consequences for the show and the sport.
One of the main concerns was the fear of having to downgrade in a straight line. Indeed, with the removal of the thermal energy recovery engine and the increase in power distribution given to the electric motor compared to the thermal engine (50/50), the batteries would quickly drain and would therefore need to recharge while driving.
Other simulations have shown that certain parameters of “active” aerodynamics, meaning that they move according to the car’s situation, could make F1 cars unstable, potentially causing them to spin out in a straight line.
Last year, Christian Horner had warned against the risk of chassis regulations producing Frankenstein cars that were not as good as they should be simply because they had to compensate for the energy shortages caused by the new power units.
Horner nevertheless believes that F1 and the FIA are much better positioned to make the necessary decisions. Obviously, it is a massive change for 2026 and slightly unprecedented to change both the chassis and the engine at the same time. Of course, there are unknown factors in this, but a lot of work has been done by the FIA. They have collaborated with the teams.
« We made our voice heard, even a year or two ago, on some of the issues that have been examined and taken into account. So, there has been solid progress, I would say, that has been made. We start from a blank slate, a complete blank slate, with all aspects of the formula. It will be fascinating to see how engineers interpret the various regulations and 2026 could look quite different.
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A first draft of regulations for June
McLaren team principal Andreas Stella believes it is crucial for F1 to ensure that the new regulations do not lead to any unintended consequences that could harm either the competitiveness of the field or the spectacle. “We are happy that the level of collaboration is high between the teams and with the FIA,” he said.
« It is important, as we have already said, that we develop regulations to avoid unintended consequences, as we have seen to some extent with this generation of cars. We have not talked about problems, but about challenges. For example, porpoising has been a real headache, both for drivers and engineers. We are pleased with the work so far. A fruitful collaboration is underway. »
Although the first set of regulations for 2026 by the FIA is supposed to be ready by June, it is likely that the rules will be adjusted as teams begin to explore them in depth and potential loopholes emerge.
Andrea Stella added: « There is still some time left to reach the first version of the regulations and also, I think that some clarifications will occur later. So, there is still some time left. But it is clear that it is important that we converge quickly because a month and a half can go by fairly quickly. »
