McLaren’s team principal Andrea Stella has voiced concerns about the draft 2026 F1 regulations, warning that the new cars might be too sluggish in corners while being excessively fast on straights.
The FIA recently unveiled its preliminary plans for the 2026 F1 regulations, complete with concept images of the future cars. However, the initial reactions from teams have been mixed, with several expressing worries about the specifics laid out.
In particular, McLaren’s Andrea Stella emphasized that the current draft rules, which aim to reduce downforce by 30% and drag by 55%, might lead to cars that are underwhelming in corners. “Well, I would say that at the moment, for the way cars are in the draft version of the regulations…the cars are not fast enough in the corners and too fast on the straights. These two aspects need to be rebalanced,” Stella remarked.
Supporting Stella’s viewpoint, Williams team boss James Vowles stressed the importance of maintaining F1’s status as the top single-seater racing series globally. He pointed out that the new regulations must ensure F1 cars remain significantly faster than their F2 counterparts. “It’s imperative that we are still the leading series in motorsport,” Vowles stated. “That’s how I see us, we are the pinnacle of this. As a result, we need to make sure that we’re maintaining performance and the speed we have – and right now, there’s a mismatch there.”
Vowles also revealed that recent changes to the draft regulations have further reduced downforce, adding to concerns. Nevertheless, he’s optimistic that a satisfactory solution can be reached with more work. “It’s not that we’re so far away, it’s just a little bit more work is required,” he said.
From McLaren’s perspective, while the team supports the general objectives of the new rules, Stella believes the current drafts are far from achieving those goals. “We support the intent of the objectives at a high level,” he explained. “However, if we look at the regulations in the draft form that has been circulated, they are still far from being able to achieve those agreeable objectives and intent.”
Stella called for collaboration among the FIA, F1, and the teams to refine the regulations. “It is the time for the FIA, F1 and the teams to work together, listen to one another and contribute to form a solution that will allow the sport to meet those objectives,” he asserted. “I think if we meet those objectives, we’re going to have F1 in a good shape. But we need to make sure that, when it’s the time of implementation, we actually deliver a product that meets those targets and objectives.”
As the discussions around the 2026 F1 regulations continue, it’s clear that teams like McLaren and Williams are eager to ensure that the sport remains at the pinnacle of motorsport. The coming months will be crucial as the FIA, F1, and the teams work together to fine-tune the rules and strike the right balance between speed and safety.
Source: Motorsport
