F1 will see one of the biggest regulatory changes in the history of the sport, as the 2026 season will see changes to both the chassis and engine side of the cars. However, F1 design guru Adrian Newey recently said the new regulations could prove to be a total disaster for track racing.

The 2026 cars will be equipped with a powertrain whose power is split equally between the internal combustion engine and the electric unit. The MGU-K will provide 350 kW of power, almost triple the current output of 120 kW.

The new cars will also feature active aerodynamic components, which have been introduced to reduce overall drag on the new chassis. And while it’s a step in the right direction towards meeting F1’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030, Newey says it’s not the right way to approach F1’s new rules .

Newey believes that preference should still be given to the chassis side of the regulations rather than the engines, as is the case for 2026. “There is still a lot of concern that the cars will go much slower at the end of the straight than at the start of the straight because they will simply run out of battery.” Newey told Autocar according to pitinsider.com.

Christian Horner and Max Verstappen had also already expressed their concerns regarding the new engine regulations. They said that based on the simulator and dyno data they saw, cars would have to downshift a lot before entering the braking zone after a long straight, because that would be the only way to do it. quick to go around the track.

Horner even went so far as to say that the 2026 cars could become a technical Frankenstein as the chassis will have to overcompensate to adapt to the new engine regulations using active aerodynamics and other tricks.

Newey thinks F1 wants to satisfy OEMs

The British engineer also explained that decisions regarding changes in powertrain regulations were made to satisfy a few original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and perhaps even attract new ones. The FIA ​​was able to do this with the addition of Audi as a new factory team for 2026.

“This is a regulation that was put in place, I think, primarily to keep existing OEMs, manufacturers, and hopefully attract new ones. In this sense, we can say that it is a success. But what the show and the spectacle will be, I think that’s a concern. Newey added.

However, he fears that prioritizing the powertrain over the chassis of new cars will harm the individuality of the cars, as more and more teams will be forced to use the same solutions, damaging reputation sports.