Times change quickly. In recent years, there had been extensive discussion about making the gearbox a standard component for all teams to reduce costs, as it was increasingly viewed as no longer being a decisive performance factor in Formula 1. Yet, with the 2026 regulation overhaul, the gearbox once again became a central aspect of car design.
The clearest example is the contrast between Mercedes and McLaren. Although the two teams share the same power unit (PU), they exploit the Mercedes unit in noticeably different ways, creating differences not only in slow-speed sections but also on the straights.
