F1 2026

[Mexijan1]

There is quite a lot of controversy about the Merc engine this season and I think its in their interest for everyone to think they're struggling....

Appears there will be a rule change, complete BS. When smart, innovative engineering is stiffled/punished in the pinacle of motorsport it is a sad day. Hire smarter engineers you bunch of whingers, When complaints are based on they are smarter than us....meh.

 

[MickyD]

Appears there will be a rule change, complete BS. When smart, innovative engineering is stiffled/punished in the pinacle of motorsport it is a sad day. Hire smarter engineers you bunch of whingers, When complaints are based on they are smarter than us....meh.

Sadly, it happens all the time - it's as old as F1 itself. Someone comes up with a brilliant workaround, or just something absolutely outrageous (Colin Chapman was a genius at all that) and everyone else cries foul or 'seeks clarification', desperately hoping that the whole idea will be nixed by the FIA - which it nearly always is. It's a brutal environment.

 

[Quinny]

I'm sure other teams will have comments about Ferrari's new rear wing:

What we know about Ferrari's radical 'upside-down' wing

Ferrari literally flipped Formula 1’s active aero concept upside down in Bahrain on Thursday as it revealed a radical new rear wing solution

www.the-race.com

 

[Quinny]

Sadly, it happens all the time - it's as old as F1 itself. Someone comes up with a brilliant workaround, or just something absolutely outrageous (Colin Chapman was a genius at all that) and everyone else cries foul or 'seeks clarification', desperately hoping that the whole idea will be nixed by the FIA - which it nearly always is. It's a brutal environment.

The confines of what is acceptable has narrowed significantly since Chapman's time though. You'd have to wonder how he'd interpret modern regs if he was around today.

 

[GreenThing]

The problem with declaring an engine illegal is that engines have to comply with homologation, are limited to three a year, and take a long time to develop and build. If a slot in a front wing is declared illegal, simply redesign and bring a new one next race; that cannot be done with an engine.

I’m not condoning cheating, or suggesting that illegal engines should be allowed. However, if an engine passes all the tests but is exploiting a loophole, that loophole has to stay.

 

[MickyD]

The confines of what is acceptable has narrowed significantly since Chapman's time though. You'd have to wonder how he'd interpret modern regs if he was around today.

True dat. I can just hear Hugh Cornwell now: "Whataver happened to... Col-in Chapman?"

 

[MickyD]

The problem with declaring an engine illegal is that engines have to comply with homologation, are limited to three a year, and take a long time to develop and build. If a slot in a front wing is declared illegal, simply redesign and bring a new one next race; that cannot be done with an engine.

I’m not condoning cheating, or suggesting that illegal engines should be allowed. However, if an engine passes all the tests but is exploiting a loophole, that loophole has to stay.

I don't know the detail but I would imagine that Merc would have made the change in the cylinders reversible just in case. As you suggest, it would be a super-drastic all or nothing move otherwise.

 

[GreenThing]

Is it wrong to say that the Ferrari wing is a little bit sexy?

 

[MickyD]

Is it wrong to say that the Ferrari wing is a little bit sexy?

Pervert.

Edited to add... having read up on it a bit more, it does sound darned clever and at least theoretically within the rules.

But... "It is understood that the Ferrari design is a test item and is being run in Bahrain as part of an evaluation study – so it is something that may or may not be carried into the season." Let's hope it is.

 

[Mexijan1]

Sadly, it happens all the time - it's as old as F1 itself. Someone comes up with a brilliant workaround, or just something absolutely outrageous (Colin Chapman was a genius at all that) and everyone else cries foul or 'seeks clarification', desperately hoping that the whole idea will be nixed by the FIA - which it nearly always is. It's a brutal environment.

Oh I know and it grates my gears too. Often these out of the box ideas are pushing the interpretation of the laws whilst in this case the law is clearly complied with. Will Merc be allowed additional testing time? How does thiis stand with the rules regarding engine modification/maintenance during a season?
Merc will undoutably have a back up solution in place but a mid-season change seems messy at best.

 

[Quinny]

Aston Martin's car - or at least the engine - seems to be an absolute basket-case of a car at the moment and may not even make the grid for the season opener.

 

[MickyD]

Aston Martin's car - or at least the engine - seems to be an absolute basket-case of a car at the moment and may not even make the grid for the season opener.

I know, it's really sad to see - a handful of laps completed, unbearable vibrations, only two batteries left, and 4.9 seconds off the pace.

And poor old Alonso - he must be thinking, "¡Dios mío, otra vez no!"

 

[Marsbarker]

Too soon to start this thread? Oh well...

Anyway, to kick things off, there's this growing rumbling during pre-season, and this is EXACTLY WHY I don't like the sport as much as I did 30-odd years ago.

The technical gain is centred around engine compression ratios, the difference between the maximum and minimum volume of the cylinder during the piston stroke. This season it is set at 16:1, measured at an ambient temperature when the car is at rest, but other manufacturers believe Mercedes and Red Bull have used materials that give them an edge. When running on a track, they take advantage of the thermal expansion of components to increase the compression ratio and an engine’s power but adhere to the rules when not running.

Storm brews over new F1 rules loopholes as Mercedes and Red Bull gain advantage | Giles Richards

Compression ratios will be at the top of the FIA’s agenda in a meeting with F1 teams to head off growing fears before the 2026 season gets under way

www.theguardian.com

I haven't been bothered with F1 in many a year now Quinny. I much prefer Rally! I think it's pretty nutty, and I like how the 'mouthy passenger' and driver work as a team in apparent symbiosis.

I really do love a time trial in God knows what conditions. The skill level is second to none as far as racing cars IMHO.

 

[Marsbarker]

I know, it's really sad to see - a handful of laps completed, unbearable vibrations, only two batteries left, and 4.9 seconds off the pace.

And poor old Alonso - he must be thinking, "¡Dios mío, otra vez no!"

I'm not sure what you mean about batteries? Can you expand on that please.

 

[Marsbarker]

Sadly, it happens all the time - it's as old as F1 itself. Someone comes up with a brilliant workaround, or just something absolutely outrageous (Colin Chapman was a genius at all that) and everyone else cries foul or 'seeks clarification', desperately hoping that the whole idea will be nixed by the FIA - which it nearly always is. It's a brutal environment.

I always thought F1 was about companies flexing their muscles on the innovative elements of progression in racing car technology ultimately might bleed down into ordinary motor industry. I'm interested in some of your feedback.