Overview

• Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff clarified he was speaking semi-sarcastically about 2026 cars touching 400 km/h only if all electrical energy were dumped on a single straight.
• Carlos Sainz and Pierre Gasly said their early 2026 simulator runs were nowhere near 400 km/h, questioning the headline figure.
• FIA rules for 2026 include circuit-specific energy deployment limits and mandated ramp-down rates of 50kW or 100kW per second, reducing the likelihood of extreme top speeds in race conditions.
• The modern-era benchmark remains below 400 km/h, with Valtteri Bottas recorded at about 378 km/h in Baku 2016.
• Drivers offered mixed views, with Charles Leclerc noting active aero could raise peak speeds, Esteban Ocon calling 380–400 km/h scary, and Max Verstappen pointing to expected FIA constraints.