2026 is the biggest regulation reset in Formula 1 since 2014, changing the engine, the aerodynamics and the car all at once.
New hybrid power units
The 1.6-litre turbo V6 stays, but the hybrid balance shifts to roughly 50/50 between the combustion engine and the electric motor (it was about 80/20). The electric motor's output rises almost threefold to about 350 kW, the heat-recovery MGU-H is dropped entirely, and every car runs on 100% sustainable fuel. There is more detail in how the 2026 power unit works.
Active aero instead of DRS
DRS is gone. Its drag-cutting job passes to active aerodynamics (movable front and rear wings with a low-drag "Straight Mode"), while overtaking help now comes from Overtake, an electrical boost for a driver running within a second of the car ahead. See what replaced DRS.
Smaller, lighter cars
The cars shrink for the first time in years. The wheelbase drops by 200 mm and the width by 100 mm, the minimum weight falls by 32 kg to 768 kg, and the tyres are slimmer (the 18-inch wheels stay). Cutting drag suits the more electrically dependent power unit.
An 11-team grid
Two manufacturers grow the grid to 11 teams and 22 cars. Cadillac enters as an all-new eleventh team (backed by General Motors, running Ferrari engines at first), and Audi takes over the former Sauber team as a full works entry. With Renault's engine programme closed, five engine suppliers line up for 2026: Mercedes, Ferrari, Honda, Audi and Red Bull Ford Powertrains.
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