Formula 1’s governing body has passed engine regulations for 2026, a long-awaited move that could lead to the arrival of premium brands from the Volkswagen Group, Porsche and Audi.
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said on Tuesday that its World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) has also updated the 2022 and 2023 technical rules to address safety concerns, a consequence of the Guanyu Zhou accident at Silverstone. , and measures to reduce aerodynamic porpoising.
The new powertrain will keep the 1.6-liter V6s at high revs, but will feature significantly increased electric power and use 100% sustainable fuels.
The current engine generator set heat element (MGU-H) will be removed, which would be a prerequisite for the arrival of the Volkswagen Group brands.
“The regulations aim to make competitive access to sport possible and attractive for newcomers,” said the FIA.
He added that they were the result of “collaborative consultations between the FIA and current and potential new PU (power unit) producers”.
Media reported that Porsche plans to acquire a 50% stake in Red Bull Technology, the company that builds cars for the current championship leaders.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner told reporters at last month’s Hungarian Grand Prix that there had been a “constructive discussion” with Porsche, but there were still many warnings and obstacles to overcome.
“The first real obstacle for any new manufacturer to come are these technical regulations for the powertrain from 2026,” he said.
Audi has been linked to Sauber, the Swiss company that manages the Alfa Romeo team.
Regarding the technical changes this year, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said a lot of time and resources have been spent analyzing and solving the vertical swing problem with the new generation of cars being introduced. This year.
“The FIA has a duty to act and ensure that drivers are not placed at undue risk of injury as a result of this phenomenon,” he added.
The FIA will measure the phenomenon from the Belgian Grand Prix at the end of August.
In 2023 the floor edges will be raised by 15 mm, a compromise accepted by the teams after the FIA had initially proposed to raise them by 25 mm.
Some teams, such as Ferrari and Red Bull, have no problem with the porpoise and have argued that the initial proposals favored those who got it wrong this year.
The FIA said a key finding from the Silverstone crash was that the Alfa’s sharp roll bar top fell off after digging into the asphalt when the car rolled over.
A rounded top will now be required.
“For 2024, the intention is to carry out a significant overhaul of the roll cage tests to ensure that cars will withstand significantly heavier loads in the future,” the FIA added.