FOM and FIA to abandon 16" wheel plan for 2026, Pirelli opposes the change to 16" and insists to stick with 18":
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1...2026/10587733/
Oh well, that's a shame.
Instead they will just go down in the width of the tyre (probably to F2 sizes: 245mm section front, 325mm section rear, down from 305mm & 405mm respectively in F1) and down in the profile of the tyre (probably to 680-690mm overall diameter, down from 705mm in F2 currently and 725mm in F1 currently).
It makes them go fast, what's wrong with going fast?
F2 and Indycar cornering at 3.5G is very leisurely compared to F1 5.5G cornering.
People want to see F1 cars as something special, something apart from lesser categories no? Hence the 1000hp and the 5.5G.
By all means 650-700hp & 3.5G & 750-800kg of a F2 or Indycar is not "slow" in itself compared to 1000hp & 5.5G & 800kg of F1, but people like that extra 12 seconds per lap of Formula One! It makes for a greater spectacle.
As for the tyres, 405mm rears like current or going down to 325mm like F2, as I understand doesn't make that much difference to grip in itself. More about the temperature management and so on, you still get the grip from the multiplying effect of the downforce on normal force on the tyre.
Note: F2 minimum weight this year (with the updates to 2024 F1 safety standards of the new F2 chassis) is
795kg, more or less the same as F1 (798kg), despite smaller cars with narrower tyres...
The plan to reduce track width from 2000mm to 1900mm like F2 is still on, likewise the plan to reduce car length by 200-300mm. So the 2026 F1 cars should be close in overall size, proportions and tyre size to a current F2 car. As we see with 800kg F2 cars, this does not guarantee a lightweight car in and of itself when sticking to strict 2024 crash regulations (which no doubt be even stricter and more severe by 2026!).