"It's a science project." Will the 2026 single-seaters be a racing monster?

The World Endurance Championship is experiencing its best-ever moment with eight manufacturers , including Ford, Genesis, and McLaren . Key to the series is the so-called Balance of Performance (BOP) system, which equates cars of different designs and architectures. A controversial but crucial system for the championship. Everyone from the drivers to any team member is prohibited from publicly discussing the BOP, under penalty of perjury. Formula 1 could follow the WEC's lead with the new 2026 regulations. But six months before its debut, the signals some drivers are sending are worrying.

“The new regulations are a huge challenge,” Adrian Newey declared these days, “I think it’s the first time that the chassis and engine regulations have been changed simultaneously. Therefore, all the teams will have to work hard to understand how to best integrate these changes.” For Newey, each new regulation is a nirvana for his creativity. Although it is symptomatic that it has been someone as media-obscure as Lance Stroll who launched a high-caliber missile at the future Formula 1 drivers.

The Canadian is characterized by apathy and indifference to the media. He doesn't need media exposure for obvious reasons, but they have been vocal about the issue. "I don't know if the regulations are exciting; it's a relative matter. If you have a fast car, then it's exciting... But the regulations are a bit sad," he declared at Silverstone when asked about it. "It's a shame that Formula 1 is moving to electric power, and that we've had to deactivate all the downforce on the cars to support battery power . It would be fun to see light, agile, and fast cars with lots of downforce and simplify everything a bit. It should be less of a science project, about energy and batteries, and more of a Formula 1 championship."

The Canadian didn't hide his disapproval after the simulator tests. "I'm not enthusiastic about the steering... Many drivers agree. Perhaps some can't talk about it for political reasons." Stroll expressed his enthusiasm for "cars that can scream a little louder, be a little lighter, and not rely so heavily on battery power, a propulsion system that isn't very competitive."

Although future single-seaters will be somewhat lighter and more compact, the determining factor is the power unit , whose electrical component will provide almost half of the energy. The new engines have influenced the chassis concept, with reduced downforce and movable front and rear wings, as well as an MGU-K Override Mode system that provides extra power for overtaking (replacing DRS).

The ability of the electric component to fuel the performance of a Formula 1 car on different types of tracks, the amount of regenerable energy during braking to recharge the battery, and the hypothetical need for excessive lift and coast (use of the throttle 'under sail') to manage energy. This, combined with the reduction in aerodynamic load and drag to optimize electrical power , determines a single-seater concept that seems unattractive to drivers. Stroll hasn't been the only one to question what's coming.

“Let's just say it's not the most fun race car I've driven… I expect it to evolve quite a bit in the coming months, but it's no secret that next year's regulations will probably be less fun to drive,” Leclerc said before the Canadian. “I like the challenge of getting the most out of a very different car than the current one. But do I enjoy it? Probably not.”

The FIA and the teams are working on software adjustments to optimize battery management. For example, by reducing the contribution of the MGU K up to a certain speed on the straights or, depending on the circuit or session (qualifying or race), redistributing the percentage of energy between the combustion engine and the electric motor. These are questions of compromise, given the initial results from the simulations. Paradoxically, Formula 1 is becoming similar to Formula E.

"It will improve, that's my comment to Charles," James Vowles replied, in response to the Monegasque's doubts. "We're a little ahead, so it gives us an indication of where they are right now (at Ferrari)," in relation to the Italian team's stage of development under the new regulations. "I don't think next year's formula will be that bad. I think it's different." It's not going to get worse.

Looking back at the first season of hybrid technology, 2014, it was a turbulent one for most, except for Mercedes. For now, the FIA president is already launching alternatives with V8 and V10 engines. Perhaps they're already starting to see the wolf's ears .

The World Endurance Championship is experiencing its best-ever moment with eight manufacturers , including Ford, Genesis, and McLaren . Key to the series is the so-called Balance of Performance (BOP) system, which equates cars of different designs and architectures. A controversial but crucial system for the championship. Everyone from the drivers to any team member is prohibited from publicly discussing the BOP, under penalty of perjury. Formula 1 could follow the WEC's lead with the new 2026 regulations. But six months before its debut, the signals some drivers are sending are worrying.