Pat Symonds on what F1 cars will look like in 2026
Significant changes in the most famous automobile championship Formula 1 are planned for 2026. And these changes will concern first of all the construction of cars which take part in races. It is assumed that in 2026, all the cars will be equipped with active aerodynamics, which will help reduce drag. Fuel tanks will be smaller. Also all the cars will be equipped with collision warning systems.
This was said by the technical director of Formula 1 Pat Symonds, speaking about the recent meeting in London, the Commission of the Formula 1, which discussed the prospects of this type of motorsport. However, Simonds did not specify whether all the aspects he spoke about were discussed at the Commission.
According to Simonds, the use of active aerodynamics is the only possible means of reducing drag, allowing the car to go around corners. Also the technical director noted that by 2026 the size of cars participating in the competition will be somewhat reduced. The expert asserts that it is quite possible, and as an example leads Williams car of 2014, in the creation of which he participated, and which is somewhat smaller than other cars participating in the race.
In addition, Simonds emphasized the fact that the power plants of racing cars in 2026 will be hybrid. In this case, the emphasis will be made on the electric motor, the power of which increases in proportion to reduce the power of the internal combustion engine.
The development of racing cars will also focus on the environmental component. In particular, fuel consumption will be continuously reduced. Also a very important aspect is the car batteries. They will be available for racing cars in versions that allow them to use these power sources for as long as possible, and after their service life, to recycle them with maximum efficiency.
Serious attention is also paid to safety aspects. For instance, vehicles will be equipped with a system that minimises the likelihood of collision. In other words, the cars will be equipped with systems which will enable every car to ‘follow’ the actions of another car and receive information about its speed. The developers think that this system will help to avoid dangerous situations on the track.
As Pat Symonds noticed, the developers are going to create cars with a design that would dissipate impact energy upon impact. But so far it is purely theoretical developments.
Technical Director of Formula 1 also said that one of the priorities is to reduce the weight of cars participating in the competition. However, the minimum objective for the near future is to create trends in racing car development that would eliminate the increase in weight.
