All Formula 1 teams must wait until January 1 next year to be able to work on the 2026 single-seaters, with the arrival of the new rules which will not be known in detail until then.
But can Cadillac F1, which arrives on the basis of work already undertaken by Andretti Global, benefit from a certain advance? A priori no but the team bosses remain vigilant.
"They shouldn't, and I don't believe they have, a set of regulations," comments James Vowles, Mercedes F1 director.
“Firstly, because they are not finished and need to be ratified. During the last F1 Commission, we still had quite a few aerodynamic elements outstanding. And it is these surfaces which are the delicate part.
“After that, if they are to arrive in 2026, they should be subject to the FIA ATR regulations (wind tunnel and computer testing restrictions) and also the cost capping regulations in 2025.”
“So is there a head start? It's potential for this year, for example, because they're completely outside of any cap, maybe. But I think it's pretty well controlled by certain FIA regulations It is up to the FIA to regulate their development next year.
Mike Krack, for Aston Martin F1, says “agree with James' analysis.”
“I think it’s a monumental task to now try to put together a team for 2026 with also a completely different set of regulations.”
“There is also no governance before year N-1, so to speak. So whatever anyone does before that is up to them, the FIA, or no one has the means to do it. regulate. But then, I think from January 1, there are only 12 months left to put all this in place and make a car. So even if there was a small lead, I think it will balance out very well. quickly.”
At RB F1, Laurent Mekies is also confident.
“It was very well explained. I think as much as you can look at 2024 as a space where you could have a head start, by the time January 1 comes around then everything will be well controlled by regulation and the task is always huge after that when you're a brand new team.”
