Esteban Ocon hopes the FIA maintains a tight leash on the 2026 Formula 1 aerodynamic regulations to ensure more teams can enter the picture for victories.
The 2026 rules will herald the introduction of active aerodynamics on the front and rear wings, along with a shallower floor to limit the effectiveness of the Venturi tunnels. The cars will also be narrower and shorter in an effort to improve their overall agility.
Revealed ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, the rules have gained criticism from a handful of teams, having been deemed too restrictive, with vocal opposition to some of the proposals set out by the FIA.
However, Ocon, who will join Haas on a multi-year deal from 2025, wants the regulations to remain tight to ensure the teams are evenly matched at the beginning of the rules cycle – rather than spread out owing to diverging development paths at the start of 2026.
“[Currently] I disagree with the fact that we see different winners,” Ocon began. “Yes, McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari, they’re still the same ones there was a long time ago, and a long time before. McLaren has joined them, so one team managed, basically, in that regulation change to make it through.
“There is a constructors’ championship and there’s still ‘which team is the best’ which counts. But all the cars should be within three or four tenths.
Esteban Ocon, Alpine F1 Team
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
“I see that [the new rules are] very restricted on many different things aero-wise, and I see teams are pushing to open it more. So I hope FIA is going to be very tight on that to say, ‘no, we don’t push it more open’.
“Because if that’s the case, then it’s going to be up to who does the best job inside the weekend, more than the overall development of the car.
“What do we love as fans? We love racing, we love close wheel-to-wheel combat, we love a lot of fights for the lead, until the end of the race.
“We care a lot less about who has the best development through the season, that is not very cool to watch on TV on Sunday.”
Ocon added that the ideal scenario was to have a field spread more akin to that he experienced during his time racing in Formula 3 and in DTM, even suggesting that Formula E’s current closeness of performance between teams was an ideal scenario.
Although this would make the powertrains – also redefined for 2026 – a bigger factor in performance, Ocon feels that it would nonetheless present a much more muted differentiator relative to unchained aerodynamic development.
“As a fan of the sport and as a driver, what I want to see is ten cars to be able to win a weekend. Like we had in Formula 3, like we had in DTM at times.
Esteban Ocon, Mercedes-AMG Team ART, Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM
Photo by: Mario Bartkowiak
“I hope that there will be some difference with a little bit of difference between the power units in ’26. But that aero-wise it’s going to be quite fixed. Not like Formula E, but almost, that’s what I wish.
“[The power unit has] a lot less of an impact than you think it does. It is a performance factor, very much so, but nothing compared to the aero development and all the rest of it.
“It’s 10% of the whole package. So that’s what I’m saying: power unit fine, but keep everything else restricted!”