F1 News: Sim gives F1 drivers early taste of 2026 'Frankenstein' cars

(GMM) F1’s 2026 revolution is creeping closer – and the first impressions of the ‘Frankenstein Cars’ from the simulator are already dividing opinion.

At Aston Martin, Lance Stroll recently slammed the new rules after trialing the 2026-spec Newey-designed car in the sim. His teammate Fernando Alonso, though, urged caution before drawing conclusions.

“I only did one day in the simulator and it was difficult to draw any conclusions,” Alonso said in Hungary.

“Yes, it has less performance than this year. Every time us racing drivers try something that is slower, we never like it, but then we get into a rental kart with 12 horsepower and we love it.

“If next year you are fast, we will love the cars.”

The new rules bring radically different power units and aero targets, with teams already balancing 2025 development against future gains. At Sauber – set to become the Audi works team in 2026 – Nico Hulkenberg admits there’s little left to upgrade on this year’s car.

“I don’t think we and the others will continue to develop much further. So we have to work with the package we have,” said Hulkenberg. “Performance will still fluctuate depending on the track.”

He hasn’t tested the 2026 car in the sim yet. “We’re simply not ready. If it doesn’t reflect reality, it can give the wrong impression. That’s worthless.”

At Williams, Carlos Sainz Jr. insists his switch from Ferrari was always about long-term vision.

“I didn’t come here for the results in 2025,” he told Marca. “I came for the potential in 2026, 2027, and 2028. The more I’m with the team, the better I see things.”

Still, he noted early quirks with the 2026 concept: “The simulator doesn’t always tell the truth. One is power – it cuts out on the straight – and another is the variability from one lap to the next.”