P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Design guru Adrian Newey shares his views on the major rules shake-up coming to F1 in 2026.
Legendary F1 designer Adrian Newey believes the 2026 regulations offer flexibility for teams to innovate and come up with different solutions. Newey, who recently joined Aston Martin as managing technical partner after a long tenure at Red Bull, is focused on the upcoming major technical rule changes in 2026. He anticipates that similar to the 2022 regulations, teams will initially explore varied design directions before eventually converging. Newey sees the potential for diverse solutions under the 2026 regulations, leading to variation between teams and avoiding a scenario where cars look identical.
Aston Martin aims to leverage the regulation changes to improve their performance and move up the grid in pursuit of world titles. The team’s owner, Lawrence Stroll, has made significant investments, including a new factory and an engine deal with Honda starting next year. The 2026 season will see a new era of F1 cars with substantial changes in both aerodynamics and power units, presenting exciting challenges and opportunities. Newey acknowledges the potential for a range of aerodynamic solutions and variations in power unit performance across the grid, akin to the hybrid regulations introduced in 2014. Looking ahead, Newey expresses confidence in Aston Martin’s collaboration with Honda and anticipates competitive developments driven by innovation and engineering excellence.
