Formula 1 will introduce new smaller cars in 2026, which will also be powered by totally overhauled power units, and former Ferrari engineer Jock Clear believes that is a move in the right direction.
The new cars’ wheelbase will be 200 mm shorter than the 3600 mm of the outgoing cars. Their width will be reduced by 100 mm to become 1900 mm as the floor width is cut by 150 mm.
The minimum weight of the cars will become 770 kg, a 30 kg difference from the 2025 machines.
And while these changes may not seem like much, Clear believes it is a good start as F1 seeks better racing while also putting emphasis on safety.”Most of the changes are with a view to making the racing in F1 closer,” Clear said. “Making the cars slightly smaller, lighter, more agile.
“I think we’re aware that safety is always a consideration, and it’s always very high up in the consideration.
“Heavier cars simply carry or retain a lot more energy. They’re traveling at the same speeds as they were when they were 600 kilograms, but they’re now 800 kilograms, that’s a lot more energy.
“When it comes to safety, you need to absorb energy when you hit things, when you hit each other, when you hit barriers,” he explained. “I think in the back of their minds, there was the aspect of we’re getting to the point where the cars are so heavy that there’s a lot of energy involved.
A move in the right direction nevertheless
“It’s not a drastic change,” the former Ferrari driver academy boss admitted. “But a move in the right direction to make the cars a bit lighter.
“That simply means they need less power to get to be achieving the same speeds, and when they’re achieving those speeds, they carry less kinetic energy. That’s a safer situation.”
One of the debates in F1 as the cars grew bigger was the lack of overtaking on tracks like Monaco, which in particular has been under pressure from Formula One Management and Liberty Media whenever the venue’s contract is renewed.
Clear said: “Making them slightly smaller, there’s always pressure on the circuits to provide circuits which allow good racing, which are wide enough to have a couple of racing lines, which always gives an opportunity for an overtake.
“In a lot of circuits, that simply isn’t possible. Monaco is the obvious one, but there are actually a lot of circuits where that’s just the layout of the land.
“The cost of expanding, making a track 2 meters wider, actually has a huge amount of cost involved in it.
“There is clear evidence that if the cars are slightly smaller, they have more room to manoeuvre, they do race, in a confined space, effectively, wherever they go.
“The racing simply does become slightly better, slightly easier, or more overtaking opportunities if they’re slightly smaller.”
Another positive
F1 drivers have also been complaining about the weight of their cars, which do not feel nimble despite achieving mind-boggling speeds in corners due to the levels of downforce they generate.
In that regard, Clear also sees positives; he explained: “Those changes aren’t huge, but they’re a step in that direction to keep the cars nice and agile.
“And I think the drivers generally now feel that the cars are quite heavy, the gist of the feeling when they’re in the car, you get the feedback that cars feel quite heavy. In the smaller circuits, that agility is something that the drivers have looked for.
“I think they’ve probably had the opportunity to drive some older cars, some five-year-old cars, probably given the feedback that, actually the smaller cars do feel a lot more maneuverable.”
In the end, it is better to make gradual steps in the right direction. Clear insists as he explained: “These incremental steps, again, are showing an awareness and a foresight from the organizing bodies and FIA and F1, and the teams, of course, because the teams are hugely involved in all of these discussions, to see the sport going in the right direction.
“You don’t have to make drastic changes in all of these areas, you’re just making a step in the right direction.
“Having had a number of years where the cars have gradually got heavier and larger, I think it’s just a recognition that we don’t want to carry on going in that direction,” he concluded. (Quotes from CasinoHawks)