Mercedes' Chief Technical Officer Mike Elliot has called on Formula 1 teams and the FIA to cooperate to ensure the 2026 regulations will be efficient. New rules will be implemented in 2026 with fresh power units being constructed for the latest era. As well as the boost in electrification and the use of sustainable fuels, the MGU-H will be removed from the unit. With the power unit regulations in place, focus is now on the chassis and aerodynamic regulations, with Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner airing concerns over what could become a "Frankenstein" formula. The FIA has voiced its wish to make the cars smaller and lighter as the size and weight have been steadily increasing over the last several years. Currently, a car's minimum weight is 798kg - 107kg heavier than the 2014 challengers at the start of the turbo-hybrid era.
F1 teams and FIA must 'sort out' 2026 regulations
“Obviously the power unit regulations are set. So we know what we're getting with those,” Elliot told media including RacingNews365.com . But amid the complexity of the rules, Elliot says that every team and the governing body must band together to create a satisfactory rulebook. “Trying to get the cars into a good shape for racing means that we also need to change the performance of the cars,” he said. “We're gonna have to drop some drag on the straights and have to make the cars more efficient. “When you sort of look at 2026, there's a whole load of things that go into there, you know, what's gonna happen with the tyres, what's gonna happen with the weight of the cars, what's happening with the aerodynamics. It's a big, complicated picture. “Over the course of the next few months, I think the teams and the FIA will have to sort out how we're going to make those regulations work.”
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