F1 introduce strict 2026 car rule to prevent Brawn 2.0

Audi chiefs Oliver Hoffmann and Markus Duesmann pose with car at Spa in 2022 — Photo: © LAT Images

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F1 introduce strict 2026 car rule to prevent Brawn 2.0

The rule means that teams will be limited in their work on the cars

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Monday 27 November 2023 16:57

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Formula 1 have implemented a new rule which will stop teams from working on their 2026 cars until 2025.

A whole host of new regulations are coming to the sport for the 2026 season, regulations that are designed to improve racing, decrease the environmental impact that the sport has, and potentially shake up the grid somewhat.

With many teams earmarking this as a huge year for them to try and get ahead of their competition, F1 have decided to bring in this new rule in order to stop manufacturers from completely throwing away the 2025 season in hopes of getting ahead, by using 2024 as a year to develop their far-future car.

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This is something that Ross Brawn recently admitted doing in a documentary on Disney +, whilst with Honda in 2008.

Now, according to F1 journalist Chris Medland, the F1 Commission have signed off this rule after meeting at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The FIA have made the decision to stop teams from scrapping the 2025 season altogether

Audi, who will join the grid in 2026, are already working on their engine ahead of the new regulations

New F1 rule changes aplenty

As well as this, the commission also discussed altering sprint weekends so that they are further removed from normal grand prix activities.

A proposed ban on tyre blankets, which was earlier this season pushed back from 2024 to 2025, will now be scrapped altogether, at least in the near future.

Whilst most engine manufacturers are already hard at work trying to perfect their formula for the new power units, the rule will be specific to the designing of the car as a whole for teams.

Mercedes Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Ross Brawn