How do teams divide their resources between the current and the 2026 F1 cars?

With the sport finding itself ahead of its biggest technical regulation change, the majority of the teams are slowly shifting their complete focus to the 2026 F1 cars.

Along with a heavily-revamped aerodynamic regulation, the following season will see Formula One introduce a new power unit. The new construction is expected to continue to produce over 1,000 bhp (750 kW), although the power will come from different sources.

The new power unit will include a turbocharged 1.6-litre V6 internal combustion engine configuration which will be very similar to what has been used since 2014. However, the power output of the internal combustion part of the power unit will decrease to 540 bhp from 850 bhp.

While the Motor Generator Unit – Heat will be banned, the Motor Generator Unit – Kinetic output will increase to 470 bhp (350 kW) from 160 bhp (120 kW).

In addition, fuel flow rates will be measured and limited based on energy, rather than mass of the fuel itself. The power units will use a fully sustainable fuel being developed by Formula One. The power units are expected to recover twice as much electrical energy as before.

With the current season having passed its halfway point, teams find themselves in a difficult situation as they need to define the balancing act between focusing on performance this year as opposed to 2026 cars.

"I think you’ll find it’s probably different team by team. For us, I’ve been very vocal about this. We pulled the car at the tunnel on January 2nd on purpose," stated Williams team boss James Vowles.

"We’re here to make sure we have an opportunity. Next year is basically a clean sheet of paper—you can redraw everything. There’s no carryover.

"And for us as Williams, that’s a really good opportunity to make sure we’re just digging out some of the other elements that we need to put foundations in for and get it right. But that’s probably an exception, not the rule. But for us, it’s a good reset opportunity.

As far as the Scuderia is concerned, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur noted: "I think every single team has the same topic on the table now: to decide when we have to switch completely to the next year’s project.

"For sure, every single day in the wind tunnel on the next year’s project, we are making perhaps ten times more improvements than on the current car.

"And it’s always a difficult choice—but that’s life, and we knew before. From the beginning of the season in the press conference, we were speaking about this. Due to the circumstances and the situation in the championship, we will make different choices," concluded the Frenchman.

Asked how Haas approached this dilemma, team boss Ayao Komatsu said: "Obviously, especially for small teams like us, it’s a very significant challenge. But it’s the same for everyone—it’s the name of the game.

"So, we are just getting on with it. But one thing which is difficult is still the technical regulation is not completely stable. So, you work on certain things, the regulation changes, then you have to start again. So yeah. But again—it’s the same for everyone. But it’s challenging."