Concerns 2026 F1 cars may all look alike

Formula 1’s looming 2026 rules revolution is raising doubts about whether teams will deliver distinctive concepts, or produce cars that look almost the same.

Next season introduces not only new power units but also a wholesale overhaul of aerodynamic rules, prompting comparisons with the last reset in 2022.

At that time, Ferrari’s ‘bathtub’ sidepods, Red Bull’s ramp design and Mercedes’ extreme zero-pods created a strikingly diverse grid.

"For technology enthusiasts, it was a golden age," noted Auto Motor und Sport. Since then, however, several years of stable regulations have seen concepts converge.

If you look at how much detail is visible in this area today and compare it with 2022, it's completely different," said Mercedes’ Andrew Shovlin. "That's why there have been so many changes here."

Shovlin added that "some areas will look the same for everyone, simply because the regulations don't allow much freedom," though he expects the most variation will appear when the first cars are launched before teams start imitating one another.

Adrian Newey, now leading Aston Martin’s 2026 project, also believes differences will emerge. "I always love differences between the teams," he said.

"It's boring when all the cars look the same and you can only tell them apart by the livery. I think the chances are good that we'll see something similar in 2026. There's enough flexibility in the regulations. I'm sure everyone will come up with different solutions."