Adrian Newey expresses F1 2026 fear which could lessen his Aston Martin impact

Adrian Newey has conceded that F1’s new rules for 2026 could place more emphasis on having a strong engine rather than a strong chassis.

F1 will transform in 2026 with entirely new technical regulations that will change the cars drastically.

With the removal of the MGU-H, the power units are becoming more electrified and will be run on sustainable fuels.

The cars are becoming slightly smaller, with adjustable bodywork also part of the new rules.

However, the key to dominating the new rules could be the power unit rather than the chassis design.

This was the case in 2014, when Mercedes stole a march on the rest of the field.

Newey, who was still part of Red Bull, couldn’t make up the deficit from their Renault power unit.

This meant that from 2014 to 2020, Red Bull could only take infrequent race victories, predominantly due to a weaker engine.

It wasn't until 2021, with Honda making crucial gains, Red Bull were able to return to title contention against Mercedes.

Speaking to German publication AMuS, Newey said of the 2026 rules: ”The reality is I can’t remember another time in Formula 1 when both the chassis regulations and the regulations have changed simultaneously.

“And in this case the chassis regulations have been very much written to try to compensate, let’s say, for the power unit regulations.

“So, it’s an extra dimension. I think engine manufacturers will have learnt to an extent on the lack of preparation that the rivals to Mercedes did prior to that change [for 2014] but there has to be a chance that one manufacturer will come out well on top and it’ll become a power unit-dominated regulation, at least to start with.”

One F1 team could dominate from 2026

Newey is adamant that one engine manufacturer could dominate from 2026 if they excel on the combustion side of the engine.

For 2026, Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull-Ford, Honda, and Audi will all supply power units to the grid.

“There’s a chance, if it’s on the combustion engine side of it that somebody comes up with a dominant combustion engine, that will last through the length of the formula,” Newey added.

“Because the way the regulations are written, it’s quite difficult for people who are behind to catch up.

“If it’s on the electrical side, then there’s much more ability to catch up if you’re behind.”