F1 team bosses to meet amid concerns over 2026 rules

Just a day after the FIA ​​released concept images and plans for the coming automotive revolution starting in 2026, concerns over some of the ideas being implemented have emerged.

As an online meeting of the FIA ​​Technical Advisory Committee outlined some of the issues at stake on Thursday, sources revealed that team bosses have requested that the subject of 2026 be the focus of a meeting to be held Saturday in the Montreal paddock. Morning.

This will be part of a semi-regular meeting held with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and other high-level stakeholders to discuss F1’s latest issues.

Currently, at the heart of concerns is that some teams feel the FIA ​​has insisted on elements of the rules which they believe will not work as intended.

This includes the overall aerodynamic concept, with some teams suggesting the new cars could be particularly slow as they will lack downforce and frequently run out of battery.

Another thing the teams want to talk about is weight reduction plans, with the general idea being for the cars to be 30kg lighter than current machines despite a likely overall increase in battery volume.

There’s a fear that teams won’t come close and end up spending huge amounts of money trying to find marginal gains.

Teams also want more details on the state of the active aerodynamic planes, with the FIA ​​announcing plans to introduce a dual-state system – with wings in Z mode for high downforce and X mode for low drag for straight lines. .

FIA F1 2026 car renderings

Photo by: FIA

FIA deadlines

Although concerns over the state of the regulations have been fading for some time, it was the FIA’s publication of its plans this week that brought the subject to the forefront.

The FIA’s actions have effectively shown teams that many decisions regarding what’s coming for 2026 have now been made, and highlighted that there is no holding back on plans to finalize things by now. the end of the month before it gets more complicated. to make changes.

Under the FIA ​​International Sporting Code (ISC), any regulatory change that the FIA ​​considers “likely to have a substantial impact on the technical design of the automobile and/or on the balance of performance between automobiles” is due to be released on June 30. , a year and a half before its entry into force.

After this period, reviews require support from competitors – which could prove awkward as it is understood that not all teams are on the same page on what needs to be done.

Some teams would like to delay the publication of the rules until October, to give the FIA ​​more time to refine them – which makes sense because teams are not allowed to properly work on the aerodynamic elements of the cars until January. next year anyway.

However, it appears that a proposal to allow this to happen was blocked by a team that felt it was important that the FIA ​​met the June deadline.

FIA F1 2026 car renderings

Photo by: FIA

ISC Article 18.2.4 specifies that a shorter notice period for the publication of rules than the June 30 deadline is only possible with unanimous agreement of the teams – which does not seem be considered.

However, one source suggested that the FIA ​​still has the option under Article 18.2.4 to act with the support of the majority of teams by opting for an October release if it believes there is justifiable reasons to do so.

The regulations specify: “In exceptional circumstances, and if the FIA ​​considers that the change in question is essential for the safeguarding of the Championship, cup, trophy, challenge or series concerned, the agreement of the majority of Regularly registered competitors will suffice. »

In its presentation documents on Thursday, the FIA ​​said the rules are expected to be ratified by the World Motor Sport Council on June 28.