2026 F1 cars might reach monster straight-line speeds, claims Wolff

With only a few months left before 2026 ushers in sweeping new technical regulations set to redefine both the inner workings and outer design of the cars, Formula 1 is already turning a sharp eye toward the dawn of its next era.

As has long been known, the overhaul won’t be limited to aerodynamics and the floor — with the ground-effect concept set to be abandoned — but will also, and most importantly, involve the power units.

Specifically, the new power units will deliver a 50–50 split between internal combustion and electric power, with the latter receiving a major boost — jumping from 120 to an impressive 350 kilowatts, nearly three times the current output.

The ICE, meanwhile, will see a reduction in power compared to today, but this will be largely offset by the increased electric output, maintaining a balance between the two systems.

On top of that, the cars will be lighter, slimmer, and shorter, with a redesigned aerodynamic package that eliminates the beam wing, front Venturi channels, and part of the underbody’s trailing edge.

Active aerodynamic elements will also make their debut, as the DRS is formally phased out in favor of the introduction of X and Z modes.

In X mode, both the front and rear wing flaps can open on the straights, reducing aerodynamic drag and boosting top speed.

This is going to work in conjunction with the manual override mode, a small electric boost designed to further enhance overtaking opportunities.

All of this is expected to result in astonishingly high top speeds on the straights, as even Toto Wolff has acknowledged.

''If the full power is called upon, we will scratch the 400 km/h limit,'' the Mercedes team principal stated in conversation with Auto Motor Und Sport.

The highest straight-line speed ever recorded in Formula 1 belongs to Valtteri Bottas, who hit 378 km/h during the 2016 Baku weekend.