Wolff on success for Red Bull in 2026: "It's not going to happen"

In August 2022, Formula 1 and the FIA signed the 2026 power source regulations. This will scrap the complex MGU-H and increase the power output of the MGU-K so that about half of the total power will be electric.

'Horner raised concerns over F1 regulations 2026'

According to The Race, Horner is concerned about the impact of that 50/50 power split, as well as the chassis rules that come into force in 2026. The Red Bull team boss is said to fear that F1 cars will demand too much from the chassis to compensate for the problems this division will bring.

For example, he cites the large size of the battery and cooling requirements that add extra weight to the cars. As a result, the combustion engine would risk becoming a 'generator' to charge a battery, which Horner says could ruin wheel-to-wheel racing.

The Austrian racing team's boss would like to see a five to 10 per cent adjustment in the ratio of electricity to combustion, but Wolff considers the chances of this actually happening to be minimal. He acknowledges that it will be difficult to set the right chassis rules and manage the battery over a full lap, but stresses that F1 should be 'at the forefront of innovation' rather than making it easier for engine manufacturers or teams.

Wolff: 'Horner fears Red Bull engine programme is not coming along'

"I think what frightens him [Horner] more maybe is that his engine programme is not coming along, and maybe he wants to kill it that way. You always have to question what is the real motivation to say something like that," the Mercedes team boss argues.

Now that manufacturers - including new entrants such as Audi and Ford - have signed on, Wolff believes there is no chance the rules will change any more. "That’s not going to happen. Zero chance. Capital letters. So, I don’t know why these things are coming up. We’ve developed the regulations over many years with all the auto manufacturers being involved, it was a compromise that attracted Audi to finally join the sport. For Honda to stay in there," he continued.

Wolff is excited about the prospects for F1 in 2026, calling Horner's suggestions that drivers may have to downshift on the straight to recharge the battery "doom-mongering". "Do you think that in all reality we are not innovative in this sport to come up with chassis/engine regulations that can avoid drivers shifting down on the straight?"

Stressing that the chassis will look very different in 2026, the Mercedes boss called the scenario outlined "not a real risk". "There will be things that we will be translating into other industries, viable solutions that we need to come up to avoid… I don’t want to give anybody ideas that we really need to downshift," Wolff said.