Mercedes engineer points out biggest hurdle of new Formula 1 regulations

The Italian engineer, who was asked about the challenges of the regulation overhaul during his media interaction in Las Vegas, pointed out several hurdles in the programme.

The 55-year-old continued by highlighting the numerous changes before stressing the disadvantage of not being able to carry over any learnings from the 2025 season into subsequent years.

“There are many technical challenges in this program, both on the chassis and on the PU side. It's a brand-new PU, but it also uses sustainable fuels for the first time. On the chassis side, everything is new,” Resta began.

“New aero configuration, new tyres, quite challenging weight limits to be achieved, and new safety requirements. So there’s a combination of many different things, and actually, there’s no carryover, quite a big challenge altogether,” the Mercedes engineering chief concluded.

The 2026 season will usher in a flurry of overhauls to what many have become accustomed to regarding Formula 1 cars.

The changes will extend to the power unit, which will see an equal split between internal combustion and electric energy. The aerodynamics and overall car design are not left out, with the ground-effect tunnels disappearing and drag reduced to favour competitive racing.

Earlier, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff stated the 2026 regulations could play into the hands of younger drivers.

The Austrian, in his assessment of the upcoming campaign, noted that the innovations in the regulations appear more in line to fit drivers who are in tune with simulators and other modern training methods.

As the commencement of the 2026 season draws nearer, our Paddock Update is the place to be.

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