2026 F1 single-seater design: key floor and wing car differences
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New single-seaters and new concepts, with a major difference beneath the 2026 cars, as the floor becomes a hybrid with wing cars.
The 2026 championship is generating high expectations, with smaller and lighter cars but many uncertainties regarding the Power Unit. There are also significant concerns on the aerodynamic side, as the cars seem to generate little downforce and performance. Compared to current single-seaters, downforce will be managed differently, with a more balanced distribution across various components. Let's explore which element will make the real difference in the quest for performance in the 2026 cars compared to the current wing car floors.
2022-2025 Single-Seaters
The downforce generated by the floors of modern Formula 1 cars is based on ground effect, reintroduced with the 2022 technical regulations. This principle exploits the Venturi channels under the car, designed to create a low-pressure zone. The airflow enters through large and tall openings, accelerates through the tapered central section of the channels (where pressure decreases), and is finally expelled through the rear diffuser, gradually restoring atmospheric pressure.
The car's proximity to the ground amplifies the Venturi effect, increasing aerodynamic load. To prevent external air from disrupting this process, vortex generators (floor edge wings) are used to seal the airflow under the car. The diffuser completes the process by optimizing the airflow expulsion.
Over these seasons and into the next, the shape and geometry of the floor have changed and will continue to evolve significantly. This has allowed teams to modify, energize, and direct airflow for better performance. From a simple “2D shape,” aerodynamicists have developed geometries with vortex generators inside the Venturi channels. Steps, slope changes, and other innovations have enabled teams to create increasingly complex and powerful designs.
2026 Single-Seater Floor and Wing Car Differences
Let's analyze the main differences compared to the current generation of cars. The most obvious change is the floor, now much shorter and more compact. This modification, mandated by regulations, aims to generate less downforce and make the cars easier to follow.
A key element that will have a major impact on the new cars is the external badgeboard, which isolates the “tyre wake” from the floor inlet. This will direct a significant amount of air toward the car's body, but it will no longer be able to use outwash as it does now. Additionally, the strict regulation of these two vertical fences, with a drastically reduced reference volume, limits engineers’ ability to optimize airflow.
Another crucial aspect of the new single-seaters is the minimum ride height at standstill, set at 30 mm. This ground clearance restriction limits the floor shapes and the central keel, which is now reduced and simplified compared to current cars. Furthermore, external vortex generators, which help seal the floor, will be much simpler.
By regulation, interventions in this area are restricted through a reference box, with cuts and shapes that do not necessarily have to be continuous. This should allow for similar designs to previous-generation cars, with cuts and even suspended vortex generators. However, the FIA's strict intervention to limit performance also includes a floor cut in the area ahead of the rear wheels.
There will be major changes to the diffuser, which will again feature a steeper incline compared to the floor, unlike current cars. The new diffuser design returns to a pre-2022-style layout, where expansion could take various forms and interpretations. This means teams can bring back sharp steps, double humps, or similar geometries, all aimed at improving airflow extraction from the floor.
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