Evaluation of 2026 aerodynamic ideas had left sim drivers experiencing strange phenomena, including difficulty spinning on the straights under acceleration in a low downforce configuration, or being unable to roll hard into what should be high-speed corners.
The situation suggests that F1’s decision-makers may be behind in their preparations for the new rules era, where Grand Prix racing would undergo perhaps its biggest regulatory change ever with an all-new engine and an all-new frame.
However, as efforts continue to finalize the new car regulations, Autosport has learned more about what these simulation stories are really about – and how the drama of the findings was actually part of the plan to prove that certain concepts wouldn’t work at all.
Indeed, rather than F1 and the FIA sharing the worry the teams felt during the simulation, the lessons have actually added clarity to the direction that needs to be taken as grand prix racing heads towards approval of the rules in June.
Find out what doesn’t work
As part of a much better working relationship between the FIA and the teams, many efforts to formulate future regulatory ideas involve them working together – as has often happened with the 2022 regulations.
After all, these are the teams that best understand the competitive requirements and performance characteristics of the cars, and have state-of-the-art simulator and simulation facilities to improve the performance of the future.
Fernando Alonso with the Aston Martin F1 team’s AMR24 simulator
Photo by: Aston Martin
Amid efforts to finalize the 2026 aerodynamic regulations, the FIA has once again been helped by teams to work on the so-called “Fangio” model – the outline of the new chassis and aerodynamic rules .
But there were two key questions to answer in the recent simulation work that gave rise to these stories.
The first was what was the minimum level of downforce an F1 car could get away with if the active aerodynamics were in their lowest position.
And the second responded to a question asked by an unidentified team. This team believed that active aerodynamics could work with only the rear wing moving – something F1 and the FIA were never convinced of.
To obtain answers, a work plan was put in place involving three teams. This included a total of 1,000 air races between them over the past few weeks, as well as simulator work to help refine the elements and get the two answers needed.
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524, Valtteri Bottas, Kick Sauber C44
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
On the first question, much progress has been made in aerodynamic mapping and development to give the FIA the direction needed to finalize active aerodynamic specifics.
And on the second point regarding the lack of a movable front wing, the simulations – which included these alarming spins – provided a definitive answer: there was no way for active aerodynamics to involve only the rear wing .
As a source close to the development of the new rules said: “It absolutely confirmed what we thought in the first place. All the teams said, “Yes, you have to adjust the front wing if you adjust the rear wing.” It was no surprise to us.
The simulations duly confirmed that F1’s aerodynamic plans for 2026 will need to include moving both the front and rear wings, and provided direction for adjusting the aerodynamic balance between the two.
With the knowledge from the running simulator describing the minimum wing angle that can be used at the rear, combined with the adjustment range needed at the front, the FIA is well placed to work out the remaining details during of the next month.
How will active aerodynamics work – and what about DRS?
Although some technical details and regulatory texts still need to be ironed out, it is understood that the basic framework for active aerodynamics has now been defined.
Whereas when F1 first floated the idea of active aerodynamics, it was possible to have four different states of the wing – which could cover additional downforce to follow the cars through corners , a normal state, a low drag state, and then a DRS option. – things seem to have settled on a much simpler solution.
Valtteri Bottas, Kick Sauber C44
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
It is understood that the additional support element and DRS states have disappeared. Instead, active aerodynamics will involve cars having two states: a normal setting for the car as it would appear when stationary, and then a low-drag state in which the wing angles decrease.
The second state will likely be activated automatically in defined areas around the track to help improve top speed – although how this works will need to be incorporated into F1’s Sporting Regulations rather than being a technical matter.
By having active aerodynamic zones, the performance of the cars can then be adjusted and optimized for each track, as DRS zones currently do, to ensure that the cars deliver the very best in terms of performance and spectacle. .
Even though DRS will disappear, it won’t mean the end of straight-line overtaking possibilities.
Instead, a revision of the FIA’s 2026 technical regulations recently outlined a boost in power – known as “override mode” – which will allow a driver to deploy additional power up to 355km/320mph. h (220.5 mph) for overtaking.
On track for June signing
Discussions over the 2026 chassis regulations continued at a meeting of F1’s technical advisory committee last week, and sources say the FIA and F1 are on track to meet the end-of-June deadline for the delivery of framework regulations on chassis.
An evaluation is also underway to understand if in the longer term there is a way to make the front wing have more than two states, so that it can be better mapped for the demands of the circuit.
This would save teams from having to undertake costly developments in the aerodynamic elasticity they currently use to help flex wings in a straight line to reduce drag.
