The start of the 2026 Formula 1 season is around the corner, and I’ve been lucky enough to see several display cars that showcase the tangible changes brought by the new regulations. And while these Audi and Red Bull liveries I saw were plastered on models that won’t actually hit the track, one thing that has stood out is the size difference.
Three years ago, we wrote about a 2023 F1 car being as long as a Chevy Suburban. Now, if you’re someone who is constantly around race cars, this probably isn’t a huge revelation. To general fans, though? You betcha. A Suburban isn’t a small vehicle by any means, so to think that the world’s most advanced and best-performing race cars are as big as a family SUV that seats eight—that’s shocking.
That was then, of course, when the rules mandated wheelbases of 3,600 mm (141.7 inches). Now, the incoming regulations set the wheelbase at 3,400 mm (133.8 inches), a reduction of nearly 8 inches. It’s worth noting that wheelbase length isn’t the same as the car’s overall length, and the FIA doesn’t put any limits on that. For example, the 2023 F1 car we compared to a Suburban was the Alpine, which then measured approximately 221.3 inches, just a pinch shy of the SUV.
So what about the new cars? What do they compare to? Well, it’s still too early to do a precise comparison because teams are still playing around with aero packages, and overall length is largely dictated by how short or long the new front wings will be. But based on the 8-inch deficit as compared to the previous regs (and using the Alpine as the base), it puts a modern F1 car somewhere around 213 inches.
For continuity, I’ll stick with Bowtie SUVs. A 2025 Chevy Tahoe measures 211.3 inches, so a modern F1 car is still about two inches longer than that. Again, these are rough estimations.
Length isn’t the only measurement that’s been reduced for 2026—not even close. The new regulations have also made cars nearly 4 inches narrower. Weight has also been reduced, as well as floor width, and other major components that will drastically affect aero performance and handling. There are several good videos from Formula 1.com and The Race that offer solid visuals, making it easier to understand.
So there you go: Thanks to the new rules, F1 cars are no longer Chevy Suburbans. They’re Tahoes, now.
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