Formula 1 star designer Adrian Newey explains what went wrong when planning the technical regulations for 2026 and the resulting problems
According to Red Bull designer Adrian Newey, it could be “difficult” to perfectly harmonize the chassis and powertrain for the 2026 season under the new technical regulations
“It’s fair to say that the engine regulations were developed and pushed through without too much thought being given to the chassis. This is now leading to pretty big problems because we have to try to find solutions to make it work.”
Some teams have already noticed “unpleasant side effects” in their simulations: The simulated Formula 1 cars behaved extremely unstable when accelerating on the straights.
Newey now believes that a holistic approach was simply lacking when the regulations were drawn up. This can be seen specifically in the future drive formula with 50 percent power from the combustion engine and 50 percent power from hybrid components. “That’s just what the engine manufacturers wanted.”
“I suppose that’s what the marketing people advised. And I can understand that. It’s potentially interesting because Formula 1 can be an accelerator for technologies.”
However, the technologies envisaged for the new Formula 1 regulations are “expensive” and therefore “a problem”, says Newey. This is because electric motors and batteries would first have to be brought up to Formula 1 standard. “That costs a lot of money. But perhaps there will be technologies in the future that could reduce costs. “
Newey sees many unanswered questions
Until then, however, there are other challenges to overcome, such as battery performance: “What the Formula 1 regulations demand of the batteries in terms of power density and energy density is quite different from the requirements of normal road cars,” explains Newey. “Different battery designs” may be required.
“So there is a risk that we are no longer directly relevant to the road car sector. But maybe that’s not the key factor. The key factor for the car manufacturers is the idea that [Formula 1] is relevant to what’s in the dealership – even if the manufacturers themselves would never admit that. “
Full thrust in the hairpin in Monaco
However, this is exactly what Newey questions when he talks about a “strange [drive] formula”: “The engines will be working as generators almost all the time [in 2026]. It might take some getting used to when the engine is pushing hard in the middle of the Loews hairpin [in Monaco].”
In his view, the only positive thing about this is “that it promotes efficiency”, says Newey. In other words: Formula 1 will serve as a showcase for more sustainable technology with the 2026 regulations. Or as Newey himself puts it: “They are trying to use Formula 1 as a vehicle to get a trend into the public eye.”
However, even the efficiency of future Formula 1 drive systems is now being questioned. World champion Max Verstappen, for example, recently suggested that the results of the simulations to date were “not as expected.”