Drivers sceptical as Wolff floats 400kph idea

Toto Wolff raised eyebrows at Zandvoort by suggesting Formula 1’s 2026 cars might be capable of 400 kilometres per hour.

The Mercedes team boss quickly admitted his comment was delivered with a smile, as doubts continue to swirl around the new regulations.

“Sounds good, no?” Wolff said. “Everybody’s talking those engines down, so I had to figure out – is there anything positive? And that is, if you were to deploy all the energy on a single straight, you could make those cars go 400 kilometres an hour. But there wouldn’t be much electric energy left for the few other corners on a circuit.”

Concerns have mounted in recent months as teams’ simulators show drivers needing to lift on straights to recharge batteries, lap times dropping, and reliance on moveable wings to balance drag and downforce.

Most drivers have sounded pessimistic after trying early versions in the sim. Max Verstappen, normally outspoken, chose his words carefully.

“I don’t want to be positive or negative,” he said. “I tried it in the sim last week, but you can change so much that it doesn’t tell you much. The FIA has already made it clear they won’t allow that (400kph) anyway.”

Charles Leclerc admitted the evolving concept makes it difficult to judge. “It’s going to be strange how we reach these speeds, but every time I simulate again, the concept has changed a lot. In the end, it might seem more normal than I thought.”

Esteban Ocon confessed: “380 to 400 sounds scary. I won’t form an opinion until I’ve driven the car in the simulator.” Alpine’s Pierre Gasly scoffed at Wolff’s optimism. “I don’t believe stories, I believe what I see. We could do 400 if we remove the first chicane at Monza and change the gearbox, but let’s see. If my car can do 400, I’ll be happy!”

Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur, meanwhile, stressed that preparation is well underway. “We’re making a lot of effort to filter what we can take back for 2026,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. “Suspensions, the braking system. It’s only in aerodynamics that you can’t transfer anything.

“There could be load changes when switching from one engine mode to another. It’s no coincidence that teams have invested in suspensions this year. McLaren, Mercedes, us. Everything we learn can become an advantage.”