Formula 1 Won’t Follow the Path of WEC
In motorsport, Balance of Performance is a system that levels out competition by adjusting performance. It typically adds weight, restricts power, or limits aerodynamics on the fastest cars to help others catch up. This is common in series like the World Endurance Championship and GT racing. However, for 2026, as F1 shifts to new engine rules, FIA’s single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis has made one thing clear: F1 will not use a BoP system like in WEC. He believes that, unlike road-based race cars in WEC, F1 cars are purpose-built for the track, making BoP unnecessary and inappropriate.
Under the 2026 engine regulations, a mix of power units from traditional manufacturers and new entrants like Audi and Ford will race on track. These engines are expected to differ in performance at first. To address this, the FIA plans built-in allowances: if an engine is more than three percent slower than the best after five races, that manufacturer gets extra development time to catch up. This approach is about supporting underperforming teams through technical development, not manipulating their performance artificially on track. Tombazis was insistent: “We completely and strongly reject any form of BoP that tries to equate performance artificially to make certain cars faster than what they may be naturally.”
Why not use BoP? Tombazis explained that in GT and endurance racing, cars are often based on road models, and naturally vary in speed due to design differences. In those cases, BoP helps equalize speed, but in F1, power units are designed to a single-spec formula and exhaust the limits of performance, and the sport’s cost cap already limits development. Instead, F1’s method will be data-driven adjustments and targeted development, while keeping racing fair and technical excellence the priority.
Meanwhile, the WEC continues to rely on BoP and recently even expanded what factors count, including the top 10% and 60% of lap times, and even tyre wear data. This extensive use of performance data shows just how deeply BoP shapes that series. It also explains why leading figures in endurance racing, like Sebastien Buemi and Toto Wolff, have criticized it as artificial. Wolff noted that he wants to “build the quickest car,” not be slowed down by officials to equalize the field.
In short, Formula 1 is taking a different path from WEC. While endurance racing balances competition with performance limits on track, F1 will address engine disparities through measured development opportunities. This allows new engine manufacturers a fair shot without penalizing top performers. As 2026 approaches, F1’s focus remains on fair, fast, and open competition, engineered, not regulated to parity on track. Fans can expect pure racing where the fastest and best-engineered car wins, not the one adjusted to fit the pack.
