The championship has yet to begin, but 2026 has already declared its first winner: creativity. The teams have gone wild in interpreting the new regulations, proposing unprecedented and distinct solutions. Judging their effectiveness from the outside would be presumptuous, all the more so since it is never a single trick that makes the difference, but rather the organicity of the package as a whole, but nothing prevents us from appreciating the most striking ones. Taking inspiration from the cinema, which is preparing for the Oscar ceremony in March, here are our nominations for the solutions seen so far on the new cars.
Nose (McLaren, Aston Martin, Audi)
With the 2026 regulations, the FIA has tightened the chassis homologation crash tests, making the structural design of the front even more difficult. Praise therefore goes to McLaren, which presents itself with a particularly slim nose. Aston Martin and Audi also impress, having gone in the completely opposite direction, proposing a deliberately large and stubby nose, a symptom of a different aerodynamic setup.
Front wing (Red Bull, Mercedes, Aston Martin)
The front wing is one of the most important elements of a Formula 1 car, structuring the flows that then interact with the rest of the car. The one that stands out in this area is Red Bull, which rejects a spoon wing, developing one with a wavy main profile. As for active aerodynamics, however, Mercedes and Aston Martin distinguish themselves. Both have not taken the most intuitive path, that of exploiting two mobile profiles, but have anchored the nose to the second element, limiting the opening to only the last flap.
Front intakes (Ferrari, Mercedes, Williams)
Another novelty of the new cars is the presence of a carbon structure inside each front wheel, protecting against debris. Ferrari, Mercedes, and Williams were the only ones to design their brake cooling ducts within its perimeter, with a narrow and high inlet section, very different from traditional shapes. Replicating it will be possible, but not immediate, requiring adequate sizing of the braking system and careful channeling of flows from the front wing.
Front suspension (McLaren, Aston Martin, Red Bull)
In a Formula 1 that after 2021 banned aerodynamic appendages in the middle of the car, the front suspension arms have remained the only elements standing between the wing and the floor, playing a major role in flow management. By 2026, by now, everyone has embraced the practice of tilting and lengthening the arms for aerodynamic purposes, with two teams standing out above the others. Aston Martin is the most extreme car for the geometries of the upper wishbone, while McLaren has lengthened the rear lower element to the extreme. Here then, Red Bull’s counter-current choice stands out, being among the most aggressive in this field until 2025. The RB22, instead, is now the most conservative car regarding the upper suspension arms, perhaps a symptom of a novel management of the flows collected from the front.
Floor (Red Bull, Ferrari, Audi)
With the elimination of Venturi channels, the floor inlet section is now smaller and with it also the flow deflectors inside. In this area, Ferrari stands out, having added a bridge structure between the five vertical elements, and even more so Red Bull, whose innermost bulkhead curves outwards. In Milton Keynes, they have managed to partially replicate the outwash effect, diverting flows laterally to push away turbulence coming from the front wheels. Audi also distinguishes itself, whose leading edge of the central part of the floor is topped by a sophisticated blowing.
Read more Berlingo and more: Citroen updates the engine range
Bodywork (Red Bull, Audi, Aston Martin)
The sidepods are another very important area for channeling flows towards the rear and for shielding the floor from external turbulence, prompting teams to play with surfaces. Red Bull is still intriguing, with a bodywork narrower than its competitors, so much so that the upper anti-intrusion cone protrudes from the sidepod, denoting a counter-current aerodynamic philosophy. Audi is also interesting, which with the first update package redesigned the radiator intakes, now vertical, giving the sidepod a curved design that accentuates the outwash effect. Aston Martin, instead, presents a more traditional downwash sidepod setup, but impresses with the slenderness of the lines, denoting an extreme packaging of the components under the engine cover.
Rear end (Aston Martin, Ferrari, Cadillac)
Another distinctive feature of the Aston Martin is the rear suspension, whose upper wishbone even attaches to the wing pillars to free up space and favor flow circulation. What to say, then, of Ferrari, which has moved the gears back to install a flap above the diffuser in front of the exhaust tailpipe, respecting the maximum regulatory distance of 60 mm from the differential. Finally, an honorable mention goes to Cadillac, not so much for creativity as for courage. Unlike Haas, the newcomer chose from the start to develop its own rear suspension in-house, limiting itself to purchasing only the gearbox from Ferrari, undertaking a further demanding project despite all the difficulties of a debut team.
Mobile rear wing (Ferrari, Alpine, Audi)
With the new regulations, the FIA has encouraged the free development of solutions that reduce aerodynamic drag and with it fuel consumption. Judging by the inventions in the field of active aerodynamics, especially at the rear, the goal seems to have been achieved. Alpine, for example, proposes a system that, instead of raising the leading edge of the wing, lowers the rear one, while Audi has a mechanism that opens the flaps in an oblique position.
Ferrari also caused a great stir, having tested the “Macarena” for a few laps in Bahrain, a mobile wing that completely flips the profiles on the straight. Vasseur said it was simply a test, with the race debut potentially happening in Melbourne or later. What is certain is that the new cars are full of interesting points and it is only a matter of time before everyone takes inspiration from others.
Read more A test before the GP: confirmation from the General Manager of Madring
