Title: Preventing 2026 Engine Performance Gaps & Grass Fires in F1
The FIA, Formula 1, and its teams had a meeting to talk about the 2026 engine rules. They want to help struggling manufacturers catch up and avoid more grass fires like the ones at the Japanese Grand Prix. The meeting happened last Thursday in Geneva. They’re worried that new rules will shake up the grid next season. Mercedes did this in 2014 and left everyone else biting the dust. Honda only caught up in 2015.
Next year, engine programs will have a budget cap. This makes it even harder for the slowpokes to catch up. So, they talked about ways to help them out. Teams might get more dyno hours and a bigger budget cap if they fall behind. Only engine performance will decide who’s lagging.
They also chatted about cutting the electric part of the engines next year. This stops cars from slowing down when the batteries run out. People couldn’t agree on this during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Mercedes said it was a joke, but Red Bull liked the idea. Maybe they’ll only slow down on the long straight roads.
Teams are still far apart on what’s fair. The power unit advisory committee will think about any engine changes. The FIA said they talked about making the energy strategy better for 2026. They also want to help manufacturers with low performance.
The F1 Commission also talked about fixing the grass fires at the Japanese Grand Prix. Cars kept setting the grass on fire. Marshals sprayed water on the grass to stop the fires. They’re thinking about using steel instead of titanium at some circuits. This might make cars heavier and wear out the skid plates.
There are also changes for the Monaco Grand Prix and a new team, Cadillac, joining next year. It’s been a busy time for F1!
