The changes coming next season in the F1 World Championship are not just a change in regulations, they are a revolution in engines, something that has not been seen in the Grand Prix since 2014. The 2014 changes revolutionized the previous year’s grid, with some teams managing to understand the changes before others and taking a big advantage. In this sense, we can get an idea of what to expect for next season with Carlos Sainz at Williams and Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin.
Radical change in regulations
Starting next season, F1 cars will be completely different from what they are now. These changes focus particularly on sustainability, car size, and aerodynamics.
As for fuel, it will be 100% sustainable, and the engines will be 55% gasoline and 45% electric. This is one of the biggest challenges for power unit manufacturers, who will have to find ways to squeeze the most out of their engines to achieve the best performance.
The size of the cars will be slightly smaller, something that F1 has been demanding in recent years, going from 3.6 to 3.4 meters in length, and also with a smaller width. In addition, the weight will be reduced by 30 kg.
The aerodynamics will also be different, with movable front and rear wings. This should allow for more overtaking on the track, or at least that is the intention. On the other hand, the “ground effect” will be eliminated. There will also be no DRS from next season, but the cars will have an extra power system called “Manual Override Mode” for drivers who are chasing.
Changes in F1 in 2014
The year 2014 saw the start of the V6 turbo engine era and the introduction of an energy recovery system (ERS). There were also significant changes to aerodynamics, with increased weight and reduced fuel tanks.
In this regard, one team clearly dominated the rest, Mercedes, and the rest is F1 history. They won seven world championships, six with Lewis Hamilton and one with Nico Rosberg. It was one of the most dominant periods in F1 history, and it looks like with the new regulations for 2026, they will once again be the big threat.
Ferrari was far from its goals, Renault also failed to find the key, and Honda had a disastrous start, although they finally managed to get back on track to snatch victory from Mercedes on Sunday.
What to expect in 2026
For this new era of F1, there seems to be a clear favorite for F1, once again Mercedes. Reports indicate that their power unit is the most advanced and could dominate again starting next year. However, this year they are distributing a large part of the grid, so some teams could take advantage. One of the candidates to scratch is Williams, which is investing in becoming a big F1 team again. They have the engine secured and now only have to take care of the car design. Carlos Sainz could have options.
Ferrari is an unknown quantity: they do not seem to be very happy with the new regulations and in recent years they have always been late to the party. The little information available suggests that they are far behind Mercedes, but you can never write off the Italians. The same goes for Red Bull, which has teamed up with Ford for its power unit, and the news coming out of the Austrian brand does not seem very optimistic.
But the big question mark hangs over Honda and Aston Martin. It’s true that 2014 was a terrible year for the Japanese brand, but it’s also true that they got in late. Their alliance with McLaren was disastrous, Fernando Alonso suffered as a result, and, in typical F1 fashion, Alonso will once again be starting a new era with them.
However, although Honda was late to the party, it did arrive, and it certainly made an impact. The last dominant team of this era, with Max Verstappen at the helm. And it looks like they are doing their homework for 2026. Honda is the big threat in F1 and everyone is aware that if they manage to create a good power unit, they are clear contenders for the title. Fernando Alonso has bet everything on this alliance to return to the top, let’s hope they get it right this time.