2026 vehicles offer hope for alleviating F1's issues with rainy conditions.

      "The primary issue is the underbody and the large diffuser."

      Formula 1 is optimistic that its completely new 2026 cars will finally address the escalating spray issue that has hindered wet-weather racing in recent years, including the heavily delayed Belgian Grand Prix last weekend. The new technical regulations will introduce smaller diffusers and diminished ground effect, which FIA officials believe will significantly reduce the spray clouds that currently render visibility nearly impossible in wet conditions. Additionally, narrower tires are anticipated to contribute positively.

      "The main issue is the underbody and the large diffuser," stated Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer, commenting on unsuccessful FIA tests involving rain wheel covers. "This leads to the water literally shooting out the back."

      F1 conducted various tests with wheel arches in 2023 and 2024, but these had minimal effect. "Whether with or without mudguards, it made little difference," Auto Motor und Sport concluded after trials with Ferrari at Fiorano and Mercedes at Silverstone.

      However, the pressure on the FIA continues to mount until 2026 arrives. Former F1 driver Christijan Albers expressed his outrage over the Spa delay, telling De Telegraaf: "You’re simply denying those teams everything," referring to teams like Red Bull that prepared wet setups expecting a Sunday storm. "If you look at Leclerc, for instance, he was able to take advantage."

      "Yeah, I just didn’t think it was fair," Albers said. "The FIA needs to concentrate on these matters because this is a mistake and unacceptable."

      Red Bull’s new leader Laurent Mekies concurred. "We not only waited for the rain to cease, but we also waited for the sun to shine, and then we still had many laps behind the Safety Car."

      Nevertheless, others supported the cautious approach. Journalist Michael Schmidt remarked: "We must understand that if something happens, race control will take all the criticism."

      Ferrari’s Frederic Vasseur agreed with this perspective. "We can’t blame them because we would have been the first to criticize them if something had occurred."