FIA, the governing body of motorsports, has approved new power unit regulations which will come into effect from the 2026 season.
The eagerly awaited regulations could pave the way for the entry of Porshe and Audi into the Formula1 world.
The FIA also announced the updated technical rules for the 2022 and 2023 seasons at its World Motor Sport Council (WMSC).
According to new FIA power unit regulations for 2026, the high-revving 1.6 litres V6s will be retained but they will have significantly increased electrical power and use 100% sustainable fuels. The current Motor Generator Unit Heat (MGU-H) will be removed which was reportedly a pre-requisite for the Volkswagen Group brands to come in.
“The regulations are intended to make it possible and attractive for newcomers to join the sport at a competitive level,” the FIA said. It added they were the result of a “collaborative consultation between the FIA and both incumbent and potential new PU (power unit) manufacturers.”
The wording of the statement all but confirms the reports that Porsche is planning to take a 50% stake in Red Bull Technology, the company which builds cars for the current championship leaders.
The WMSC also sanctioned changes to roll hoops, after studying Guanyu Zhou’s crash at Silverstone, and measures to reduce ‘porpoising’ which has plagued many F1 teams this season.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem assured that significant time and resources have gone into analysing and resolving the problem of vertical oscillation (“proposing”) with the new generation of cars introduced this year.
The FIA will begin to measure the phenomenon from the Belgian Grand Prix at the end of August. But to curb the problem in 2023, teams will be forced to raise floor edges by 15mm, a compromise agreed upon by teams after the FIA initially proposed raising them by 25mm.
Ferrari and Red Bull opposed the regulations as they have found a way to minimize them this year but notable names like seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton urged the FIA to find a solution to the problem to protect driver health.
A new rounded top for the roll hoop will also be required from next season after FIA’s findings revealed that Guanyu’s car had its ripped off after digging into the asphalt when his car flipped.
