The new cars in F1 2026 may have ways of rule exploitation
The FIA has put a stop to further potential exploitations of next year’s new Formula 1 rules, with loopholes surrounding the new 50-50 hybrid engines.
The 2026 season will see F1 enter a new phase with increased electrification and a change in aerodynamics in what will be lighter and smaller cars that take to the track.
Reports have surfaced that Red Bull and Mercedes have already begun to deliver impressive results in tests, which have seen them produce higher compression ratio limits.
Whilst this is supposedly not within the rules, the two as-of-yet unidentified teams have found ambiguity in them to confidently take these steps.
But now comes a further development, this time in the form of the new fuel flow meter limits, due to the brand new sustainable fuels being used.
The previous limit, which measured a maximum flow of 100kg/h, will be swapped with a fuel energy flow limit of 3000MJ/h.
This will replace the previous format, in which both the teams and the FIA had their own separate flow meters.
Now there will be just one, produced by Allengra. The data it produces will be accessible to both the FIA and teams.
The previous format has been replaced due to a rewording in the rules, blocking out any possibility that teams may exploit this too.
Its initial wording stated: “Any intentional heating or chilling of the fuel-flow meter is forbidden.”
But after the most recent World Motor Sport Council meeting, it was changed to: “Any device, system, or procedure, the purpose of which is to change the temperature of the fuel-flow meter is forbidden.”
The FIA’s single seater director Nikolas Tombazis has already warned that any consequences for teams found to be exploiting the rules would be like “suicide”.
READ MORE – Why Toto Wolff expects new 2026 F1 cars to be ‘fascinating’
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