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Motorsport
Motorsport
Sport

Why Pirelli's downforce simulations don’t tell the full story of F1’s 2026 pecking order

With three race weekends to go under the current regulations, the focus of Formula 1 teams has long since shifted to 2026. The performance of all power units remains a major question mark, and the same applies to the chassis side.

Although the initial response from technical directors – just as in 2022 – was that the rules were quite restrictive, Adrian Newey has said that upon closer inspection that might not be the case. It's reflected in some of the early predictions for next year’s cars. Figures submitted by teams vary in at least two areas. Brembo said there's considerable variance in the expected rear brake disc dimensions for next year, while Pirelli revealed that teams’ predicted downforce levels differ substantially.

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