Formula 1 bids farewell to the current ground-effect cars in just a few races’ time, but how will the concept be remembered? Some of the F1 team bosses have had their say…

F1 moves to an entirely different aerodynamic philosophy in 2026, returning to active aerodynamics for the first time since their banning at the end of 1993 (when active suspension was used to provide a stable aero platform). The current cars, which utilised ground effect for their primary source of downforce, will be consigned to the history books, but will they be remembered with fondness?

Laurent Mekies: Ground effect cars have given us a great show

Ground effect as a concept was banned in 1982, with F1 then embarking on almost 40 continuous years of utilising overbody airflow to generate downforce by pushing the car down onto the track.

But the wake turbulence generated by this philosophy meant following other cars became very difficult, with overtaking even more so. When devising a new regulation set for 2022, F1 and the FIA thus turned back to ground-effect for a modern iteration of the philosophy, which utilises suction generated by the floor as the primary method of creating aerodynamic downforce.

It was quite clear in 2022 that cars could follow each other far more closely, with the level of air disturbance considerably reduced, although, as teams made gains over the years since, this wake turbulence has increased as the cars’ performance levels began to converge. Another hurdle that has arisen is that ground-effect also creates more water spray in wet conditions, reducing visibility.

As well as the chassis rules changing, F1 is also bidding farewell to the current hybrid engines that were introduced in 2014, with a switch to a power unit of the same architecture but with greater electrical power output.

With the development of the F1 2025 cars now all but concluded as teams look to the new regulation set, what is the general sentiment amongst the team bosses about how this four-year era will be remembered?

“I think if you ask Stefano [Domenicali], he’ll probably remind you that we were all criticising these cars before they came out!” Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies laughed when asked for his thoughts on whether they fulfilled the brief of increasing overtaking.

“And in the end, we got incredible racing. I was in the ‘bad guys’ group—we were all thinking that the cars would all be the same, that there would be too much standardisation, and that performance levels would be too close. It turned out not to be exactly true. We got four years of incredible competition.

“Up to now, you still have one team dominating, and another team has been dominating in the past. So I think, when you combine that with the fact that these cars are the fastest ever, or nearly so, I think they’ve given us quite a great show. We’ve seen a lot of overtaking this year. So personally, I feel good about these cars.

“They brought something great to Formula 1 – technologically very advanced. It was a challenge for everyone. The ground effect cars caught nearly all the teams out in 2022, with the bouncing and everything. I think we had a great show. And combined with this engine, I think it raised the bar to a very high level.”

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Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur agreed, saying that it’s clear the regulations delivered upon the goal that was targeted, even if the conclusion of the rules has meant that one team is largely dominating this year as rivals have called off development.

“Don’t forget, in Budapest, we had four different teams, six cars, I think, within less than one-tenth,” he said.

“That’s proper racing. For sure, McLaren is dominating – I’m not stupid – but they’re a step ahead.

“Also, probably a bit in tyre management and so on. But I think we’ve reached a point where we have a proper fight today. And don’t forget also that we developed this generation of cars under the cost cap—it’s the first generation under the cost cap.

“That means we have to take the positives from the last four years. We’ve had different winners, different teams able to win races, and from my point of view, it’s been a good show and good sport.”

In 2022, the aerodynamic phenomenon known as ‘porpoising’ saw the FIA take action to reduce the level of bouncing – caused by the airflow under the floor running out of space and releasing, creating a rapid cycle of suction and loss – to protect the drivers’ spines.

But this early hurdle was quickly overcome, and Haas’ Ayao Komatsu said the concluding regulations, both on the chassis and engine side, represented a huge challenge for the teams.

“I think it just demonstrates how amazing this sport is. In 2014, some people couldn’t even do a single lap,” he said.

“Then came 2022, with ground effect cars—again, most teams had huge issues. But how quickly we dealt with that, how quickly we converged.

“So both on the PU side and the chassis/aero side, we proved something. I think it showcases what’s amazing about F1.

“And next year’s regulations are going to change both PU and aero. That’s a huge, huge challenge.

“I think you’ll see a very different landscape to start off with, but again, I’m pretty sure you’ll see this paddock—these 11 teams—quickly find solutions.”

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