As Formula 1 enters the final part of the season, development for the 2026 cars continues at a rapid pace behind the scenes. However, there is one aspect that divides teams: when drivers will first test the new cars in the simulator. On this front, Haas has decided to focus on next year’s car only after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Let’s find out why.
With just over three months remaining before the debut of the 2026 cars, scheduled for January with the first private test session in Barcelona, most teams are already looking ahead. The earlier timing of these tests compared to previous seasons has forced a revision of component production schedules.
This is essentially a race against time, with development proceeding at much faster rates than today. With entirely new regulations, the potential for improvement is far greater, leading to marked progress even week-to-week. Notably, data sent to Pirelli from team simulations show significant discrepancies in load values, on the order of 20-30%.
The challenge is that there are so many new elements that it is difficult to establish reference points. In 2022, the Power Units remained unchanged, but next year everything will be different, from engine to chassis, in a far more complex interplay of solutions where each choice influences the others. Teams that achieve maximum efficiency will gain a decisive advantage, both in power and energy management.
Different approaches among teams
The rapid pace of development combined with regulatory complexity has led teams to take different approaches. Some chose to focus on 2026 from the start of the year, while others shifted resources only mid-season, and this also affects the work of official drivers. Not all drivers have yet had the chance to test the new cars in the simulator.
When regulations are stable, drivers usually only test the following year’s car toward the end of the season, due to busy overseas calendars and simulator preparation for the final Grands Prix. However, with such a major regulatory change, some teams have acted differently.
For example, Williams was among the first to give its official drivers virtual tests of the 2026 car, while reserve drivers carried out much of the development work. Other teams, like Sauber and Haas, followed a different path. The Swiss team waited until just before the Singapore Grand Prix to allow its drivers a virtual test of the new car.
Haas presents an even more unusual case. As confirmed by the team, neither Esteban Ocon nor Oliver Bearman will have the opportunity to test the 2026 car before the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the season finale. This means their first contact with the new car, even if only in the simulator, will not occur until mid-December, with further limitations due to the mandatory winter shutdown.
This implies that the most important phase will take place in January, just before the shakedown in Spain. It is a deliberate choice rooted both in strategies shared with other teams and in certain constraints Haas must manage. The first constraint is the current pace of development, which is faster than in previous years.
Major developments on the aerodynamic front
Currently, teams have already defined the fundamental elements of the project, including the chassis, which is undergoing elastic deformation tests to identify potential weak points and, importantly, to understand the weight limits. Weight reduction will be a central theme for the 2026 cars, as FIA targets are ambitious and every kilogram saved can provide a significant advantage.
Aerodynamic development is also progressing rapidly. Simulations submitted to Pirelli reveal significant discrepancies. Early wind tunnel and CFD work show marked progress, meaning that what drivers experience in the simulator can change significantly from month to month.
It is important to remember that Power Unit development, particularly in mapping and energy management, directly affects aerodynamic choices, leaving engineers with more or less flexibility. Therefore, many aerodynamic solutions remain open. A basic concept, based on engine data, serves as the foundation around which other decisions are progressively integrated to find the optimal balance between downforce and efficiency.
For this reason, some teams have chosen not to involve their official drivers in early 2026 simulator testing. With aerodynamic development proceeding non-linearly, early work risks becoming outdated. As a result, initial development is often entrusted to reserve drivers, allowing main drivers to focus on the current season.
Why Haas follows a different program
Haas faces an additional limitation: the American team does not have a private simulator and must use Ferrari’s facilities, renting slots for a few days and alternating with the Maranello team. This means testing cannot be done freely, but only during pre-agreed windows.
Consequently, Haas’ 2026 preparation is conducted using Ferrari’s facilities. Combined with the rapid pace of development and the need to carefully manage available simulator days, and considering the team’s ongoing battle for a strong Constructors’ Championship finish and planned updates for Austin, the rationale for Haas’ approach is clear.
“It was a deliberate choice. Looking at who we are, our constraints, and everything else. But the point is we are doing a lot of development without using drivers in the simulator. And so far, progress is significant. Things are changing a lot,” explained Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu.
“We didn’t want to involve a driver too early and then force them to train in a scenario that, a month or two later, would be completely different. That would be a waste of time. Obviously, the midfield battle this year is so tight that we wanted them to focus on that. After Abu Dhabi, the car will be finalized, so we preferred to act this way.”
According to Haas, this decision will not significantly impact preparation for the 2026 season. The reason is twofold: recent development work may already be outdated, and next year there are three scheduled test sessions before the season begins, allowing drivers to spend more time in the real car.
“In the simulator, as I said, you can only do so much. If development had been stable six months ago, we’d be at a disadvantage. But it’s not stable—not unstable, but moving so quickly,” Komatsu concluded.
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