World Motor Sport Council approves 2026 F1 regulations

The World Motor Sport Council have finally approved the power unit regulations for Formula 1 which are set to be introduced in 2026.

As of today, August 16, the FIA World Motor Sport Council has approved the regulations for the 2026 Formula 1 power unit regulations.

These regulations will come into force for the 2026 F1 season. The new regs will aim to help the sport strive towards their ongoing goals of driving innovation and sustainability.

The Power Units

The new power unit regulations will change the internal components of the car. These changes will affect both mechanical and electrical components of the car, such as; Fuel, the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and the Energy Recovery System (ERS).

The fuel will have to come from 100% sustainable fuels which will also be helped by an increase of electrical power, which is reported to rise by 50%.

Despite the changes, the cars will still have the same power output as they do today, around 1,000bhp. Meaning, the cars will keep their V6 engines.

This – in addition to the changes – will help keep the engine costs low for the competing teams.

With lower engine costs, it may lead to a rise in interest from other engine manufacturer’s who could consider a move into the sport – given its increase in popularity.

As the new power unit regulations were approved, the FIA also released their decision on porpoising and their bid to tackle the aerodynamic phenomenon.

2022 and 2023

From the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix, the next race on the F1 calendar, the FIA will make changes on defining ‘the stiffness requirements of planks and skids around the thickness measurement holes.’

Due to this, the FIA will expect the teams to run their cars below a threshold to keep their car considered safe for the drivers.

These regulations will then be developed on, for the upcoming 2023 season, where:

• The floor edges will be raised by 15mm
• Diffuser throat height will be raised, with care to avoid any impact on the team’s design of mechanical components
• Diffuser’s edge stiffness will be increased
• An additional sensor will be mandated to monitor porpoising more effectively.

Roll hoops

Following Gunayu Zhou’s, Alfa Romeo, horrific crash at the start of the British Grand Prix, the FIA stepped in to see what could be improved on the safety standards.

On the opening lap of the British race, Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly initiated the domino affect which led to the incident.

The Frenchman’s car made contact with the rear-left tyre of Mercedes’ George Russell who, subsequently, slammed into the side of the Chinese driver’s Alfa Romeo.

As a result, the Alfa flipped over and slid across the tarmac and across the gravel trap before it flipped back over and slotted itself between the tyre wall and fencing.

It was discovered, after the incident, that the roll hoop had torn off when it flipped onto its roof.

Following the FIA’s findings, where they believe the roll hoop should be improved, the WMSC agreed to the following changes:

• A change to a rounded top of the roll hoop
• A change to ensure a minimum height for the point of application of the homologation test
• A new physical homologation test where the load pushes the roll hoop forward
• Definition of new tests to be carried out by calculation

To ensure the development is going to plan, the FIA hope to

That’s it for the article: World Motor Sport Council approves 2026 F1 regulations! What do you think of the new regulations? Let us know in the comments!

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.