F1 teams warned over 2026 pecking order 'lottery'

F1 teams are heading towards a “lottery” when it comes to the shape of the pecking order next year, according to a senior Haas member.

The sport is heading towards a fresh set of technical regulations in 2026, with major changes coming to the chassis and aerodynamics.

It has been labelled as one of the biggest regulation changes in F1 history and could produce a brand new pecking order from the one headed by McLaren today.

Jonathan Heal, who works as deputy chief engineer at Haas, highlighted the close nature of the current field makes it tempting to keep up development of the 2025 car.

“Sometimes it's better to fight the championship which you're in than next year,” he told media including RacingNews365.

“Next year will be a lottery for lots of reasons - engines and things like that. So for us, it's important to do well this year.”

Haas currently sit ninth in the constructors' championship, but the close margins of the midfield battle make it difficult to predict who could come out on top of the fight by the season's end.

While much of the development across the grid is now focused on next year's car, Heal suggested a further upgrade could make a significant impact in this season's fight.

“One-tenth of a second can be five places on the grid,” he said. 

“So this year, it is much trickier. You don't say 'I want two tenths or three tenths of a second from a package'. 

“Even 1/10 of a second can make a difference in where we are fighting.”

Haas has not completely halted its development schedule, with Heal highlighting it is “still working to try to bring an upgrade” towards the back end of the campaign.