As Formula 1 regulations for 2026 loom, simulations have reportedly shown that moveable aero expected to feature on the next generation cars will make them unstable.
The current era of F1 regulations are nearing their end, as 2025 will be the final year for the current crop of F1 cars as the sport shift to new cars in 2026.
The 2026 cars will feature new power units that will deliver power based on a 50/50 ratio between electricity and internal combustion. This has raised concerns, in particular by Red Bull who revealed that their simulations showed that the cars will run out of power at the end of the straights, which caused quite some debate with rivals and the Formula 1 One Management at the time.
Based on that, the 2026 cars will feature moveable aero parts that aim at reducing the drag over the straights in order to compensate for any power deficiency. The wings will run high downforce configuration in corners and move to low downforce on the straights.
With the DRS already existing, the plan was for the 2026 moveable aero parts to be restricted to the rear wing to make things more simple, however that seems to be changing now.
A recent report in Motorsport.com revealed that simulations done by some teams yielded some concerning results related to the characteristics of the new cars.
The report claimed that the 2026 car will be almost undrivable when the rear wing is at its lowest downforce configuration while the power unit was delivering maximum output. There were several cases of drivers spinning on the straights while struggling to control the rear of the cars in the slightest curves.
The initial analysis claims that the shift in aero balance caused by the moveable aero is three times that caused by the current DRS systems.
The report went further quoting an "insider" that suggested the cars needed to be driven so conservatively that their lap times will be slower than current Formula 1 machinery.
The FIA gets involved to try and find solutions
FIA officials have reportedly visited the teams' facilities to discuss the issue and the solution seems to be running moveable aero on the front wings as well in order to reduce the aero balance offset.
The FIA and FOM are now in a race against time to sort out these problems before the regulations are finalized by June of 2024.
And while Red Bull have complained about the regulations earlier, Christian Horner has recently hailed the FIA for listening to teams' concerns.
He said: "I think there's been some good progression. I think that the FIA have taken on board some of the feedback and some alterations have been made.
“We're waiting for the chassis regulations, which will be a fundamental part of the 2026 package now and how that interacts with these power units.
“The various working groups are working hard on that and it's important that we conclude something in the near future," the Briton insisted.
As for the concerns emerging from the simulations, Horner said: "The rules are the same for everybody at the end of the day.
"So, it's how you apply them and translate them. I don't think we're afraid of whatever the rules will be, as it's the same starting point for everybody.
"When they're finalised, that's when we'll no doubt discover whatever issues there are with the rules, but that's no different to any other regulation change," he concluded.
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