The Mercedes team principal recently spoke about the latest car developments ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season. As teams gain a better understanding of the regulations while they build their cars, some surprising realizations have come to light.
Toto Wolff believes that cars may be able to hit nearly 400 km/h on the straights, which would beat the previous in-race record, set by Valtteri Bottas in 2016, by 22 km/h.
A big reduction in the venturi effect on cars, along with the increase in electrical power, are the two larger factors in the projected increased straight speed. From the point of view of the fans, it should give them some great overtaking on longer straights in places such as Baku, Las Vegas, and Spa.
However, despite the huge increase in speed, lap times are still expected to be up to two and a half seconds slower on average. Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA’s single-seater director, insists that teams will close up on the lost lap time throughout next season and into the following years.
There is still a cause for concern
If cars are that much faster on the straights, it only makes us wonder how slow they will be around the corners if so much lap time is being lost. There is still some uncertainty about how much of an impact the timing difference will have on the racing quality.
Sebastian Vettel recently spoke out against the incoming regulations, with his primary concern being a repeat of the era of racing that began in 2014. It was one which saw Mercedes possessing a big advantage, with other teams taking years to even begin catching up.
Additionally, the complexity of building these engines, combined with the production costs, may not amount to a better quality of racing. Perhaps a simpler approach will be followed afterwards, as teams, fans, and other key figures in the sport are growing increasingly worried that these regulations may end up failing.