Alpine boss Bruno Famin has confirmed the FIA is engaged in discussions with the teams over relaxing the published regulations for Formula 1’s rule change in 2026.
Earlier this month, the FIA released the draft technical rules that will shape the sport’s new era, containing the planned move towards lighter, nimbler and smaller cars.
The proposed rules target a 30kg reduction in weight and a 100mm cut in width on the current cars, while there is slated to be 30% less downforce and 55% less drag.
However, the initial regulations have been met with criticism from both the drivers and team bosses, who have questioned whether the FIA’s ambitions are achievable.
Fernando Alonso and Williams boss James Vowles suspect the targeted reduction in weight will be “impossible” owing to the increased reliance on electrical energy.
But amid the FIA’s revelation it intended to hold talks with teams on opening up the rules, Famin has divulged that increasing downforce is one prospect on the table.
“The 2026 regulation, I think, we need to stick on that date for sure,” Famin responded to a question from Motorsport Week. “We cannot postpone anything.
“But I think in the last technical meeting we had with the FIA was quite open to give a bit more freedom to the technical side in order to get the teams developing more downforce etcetera. I think we are working all together and as someone said to have the best possible car, the best possible regulation to have a fight, a close fight.
“And also the Formula 1 being still at the edge of the technology, I think we are all working on that.
“And I’m happy to see that the FIA is very open to make some amendment to the regulation to fine-tune the regulation. But let’s keep it for ’26. It’s crucial.”
Sauber Team Representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi has explained how the incumbent 10 teams have adopted an open approach to avoid a divided championship.
The nascent rounds this season have comprised the top five squads not being within touching distance of the rest, with four outfits still to crack double-digit points.
Bravi, whose Sauber team hasn’t scored, has pinpointed how the cost cap and relaxed spending limits on infrastructure will help the lower teams eradicate the gap.
When asked by Motorsport Week whether the 2026 regulations could be tweaked to ensure that minor points places can elevate a team up the grid, Bravi replied: “First of all, we have been working all the teams together since 2021 with the new financial regulations, the new Concorde Agreement in order to have in the medium long term convergence in terms of performance and have a larger platform that can fight for points.
“We have said that, you know, the biggest gap between the top teams and as you call the second level field is in terms of infrastructure.
“And also in this case, they have been approved an extra allowance, you know, for teams that are in the second part of the constructor championship that we can invest a bit more to close a step-by-step this gap. So we all want, you know, more participants able to fight for the top position is the work that we are doing all together in the F1 Commission.
“And of course, this is a competition. So we need also to reward teams that have been doing a better job. But I can assure you that all the teams are really open.
“They are really working all together to improve the show.
“We know that the success of Formula 1 is for the benefit of all the teams and to have a successful championship, we need to have more competitors able to fight for the top positions.”
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