Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff believes the 2026 cars could reach speeds of up to 400 km/h next year.
The rule book is in for a significant overhaul with dramatic changes hitting the power units and chassis regulations.
The electric output of the power unit is set for a major boost next year compared to the current iteration and will be on par with the combustion engine.
Straight line speed will also be boosted by the active aerodynamics systems, which will see the wings shift on the straight to reduce drag.
With the cars being put through their paces in the simulators, Wolff is expecting the F1 top speed record to be broken next year.
“When full power is deployed, we'll be approaching the 400 km/h limit,” Wolff told Auto Motor und Sport.
Felipe Drugovich, who works as a development driver at Aston Martin, delivered further insight into how the car is behaving.
"The car pushes like crazy out of the corners,” he said. “You feel like you're sitting on a rocket.”
A number of F1 drivers have taken aim at the cars for next year, predicting they will not be enjoyable to drive.
It has also raised questions over how exciting the racing will be to watch if the drivers are forced to coast at the end of straights.
Wolff, however, is not being drawn into criticism at such an early stage.
"How can you criticise something that hasn't even been fully developed yet?” the Austrian asked.
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