Wolff: F1 engineers will tame 2026 'slow car' fears

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff believes that F1’s brightest minds will eventually recover the lost lap time that many fear will result from Grand Prix racing’s 2026 regulations.

Last month, the FIA unveiled a comprehensive overview of the technical prescriptions that will guide the design of Formula 1’s next-generation cars.

However, various areas of the future regulation platform caught the attention of the sport’s competitors.

From a lack of downforce produced by the cars’ innovative active aerodynamics to the 50/50 power divide between the internal combustion engine and the electric output, concerns were widespread that F1 might struggle to remain motorsport’s fastest and leading series.

Simulations conducted by Williams suggest the proposed 2026 cars might be only "a few seconds" faster than current Formula 2 machinery, a sentiment echoed by Wolff.

“What we have at the moment is simply far too slow,” he told Austrian broadcaster ORF, referring to Mercedes’ own projections. “We sometimes have lap times that are up to 10 seconds slower.”

• Read also: Coulthard warns F1 2026 regs may change the face of racing

Despite these initial worries, Wolff is confident that the ingenuity of Formula 1’s engineers and their quest for innovation will prevail.

“Formula 1 has always been an innovation incubator, and I am convinced that with what the engineers will come up with and, with the [chassis] regulations, which we still have to change, the cars will definitely become fast again,” he said.

Wolff argues that even with slower lap times, the spectacle of Formula 1 won't be diminished for viewers.

“It’s still much faster than anything else out there, and you have to leave the church in the church: There is no difference for the television viewer.

“IndyCars look fast, but they are 20 seconds slower.”

Over the past year, there has been a lively debate about the 50/50 split between electric and internal combustion engine power, with Red Bull leading - in vain - calls for changes to the ratio.

Ultimately F1’s manufacturers must contend with the new engine format, which has justified the subsequent introduction of active aerodynamics

Still, Wolff reckons that minor adjustments might have yielded a smoother transition for teams.

“Perhaps we would have done a little less battery and more combustion engine, because we are running 100% biofuel anyway,” he explained.

“It’s 100 per cent sustainable. So something could have been adapted. But that ship has sailed.”

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