Since its inception 76 years ago, Formula 1 has always used rules to ensure the drivers’ and cars’ safety. Effective this year, those rules might shake up the established racing scene. According to Formula 1, the main difference is how the aerodynamicity of the car has changed, allowing the manufacturers to drop 30 kg of mass, giving drivers a lighter vehicle and a faster time on the tracks. A key vehicular design element is the wing on the back of the car and the low-rider wing on the nose, both of which are now moveable “to allow for closer racing,” which means the cars can drive in closer proximity to each other.
The new rules that F1 has created will make for more interesting races, and the Australian Grand Prix on Mar. 8 should be a compelling first example of that. With the new rules about vehicle safety and agility of the cars, there will be some very intriguing changes made by the teams and pit crews. The new set of rules will “be ratified by the World Motor Sport Council on June 28,” according to an article on the F1 website.
Nikolas Timbazis, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Single Seater Technical Director, wants this new set of rules to create “a ‘nimble car’ concept.” With the reduction of vehicle size and weight minimum by 30 kg, the car will have the “active aerodynamics to achieve very low drag on the straights and the Manual Override system that will provide drivers with an on-demand burst of battery power when close enough to the car ahead of them,” according to Timbazis. With all of the changes made to the rules, drivers will have more control of their cars and race in a safer environment for everyone on the track.
Anything that affects F1 racing has the potential to have a large impact on race city markets. Over 560 million dollars were put into the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix, which led to the city making over 45 million dollars through hotels and casinos along the strip. That’s half of what Monaco makes in a year.
With the rule changes focused around the driver and not the team, their impacts will center on the drivers’ skill, allowing for the cars to race closer together, and give the teams greater competition within each race, potentially leading to even more interested spectators.
“The key features of the 2026 F1 Regulations are advanced, sustainability technology and safety,” FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said. “Our aim, together with Formula 1, was to produce a car that was right for the future of the sport’s elite category. We believe we have achieved that goal.”
