(Motorsport-Total.com) – June 21 is an important date in the 2026 Formula 1 season, even though it was not a race day. The Monday before the Austrian Grand Prix is crucial because an interim assessment is made in the constructors’ championship on this day – and based on this interim assessment, the aerodynamic handicaps for the second half of the 2026 season are assigned.
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It has been like this since 2021: The handicap system introduced at that time stipulates that better-placed Formula 1 teams receive less development time than lower-placed teams. Specifically: Teams in positions one to six in the constructors’ championship receive a deduction, teams from eighth place receive an addition. Only the seventh-placed team remains at one hundred percent.
This means, analogous to the current overall standings: Mercedes, as the championship leader, will be most restricted in development work in the second half of the season. Aston Martin, currently at the bottom, benefits the most.
Who benefits the most
Williams, together with Aston Martin, is among the teams that have had the biggest “drop” in the handicap ranking from the first to the second half of the year: These teams finished the 2025 season in fifth and seventh place in the championship and are now in eighth and tenth place – so far back.
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However, this has a positive effect on development time: Williams moves from 90 to 105 percent development time, Aston Martin from 100 to 115. McLaren, as the reigning constructors’ world champion, had previously been allocated the least development time (70 percent), but due to its drop to third place, it can now increase to 80 percent.
And because Red Bull is no longer third but fourth, it receives a development increase of five percent in the second half of the year.
Which teams are more restricted
The biggest jump in the other direction is made by Alpine: After last year’s last championship position, the French team is now in fifth place in the interim championship standings and must therefore significantly restrict its development work – instead of 115 percent, there are only 90 percent of the wind tunnel time in the second half of the year.
Other teams moving up in the field include Ferrari (from P4 to P2), Mercedes (from P2 to P1), and Haas (from P8 to P7).
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Unchanged, however, is the allocation for Audi. The Germans had taken over the quota for ninth place from Sauber and remain there after the first half of the season. There are also no new values for the Racing Bulls and newcomers Cadillac.
The next readjustment of the aero handicaps will then be based on the final 2026 championship table (cut-off date: December 31, 2026) for the first half of 2027 and will apply from January 1.
Explained: What the aero handicap specifically means
The handicap rules apply in Formula 1 both to development in the wind tunnel and to digital development on the computer, and the officials have set various key figures for this.
One hundred percent corresponds to 320 wind tunnel runs. During this time, the blower may be used for 80 hours and a team can spend up to 400 hours in the wind tunnel.
Also at one hundred percent, a Formula 1 team can perform 2,000 calculations with digital 3D models and may – simplified – spend up to six million computing hours.
Based on these one hundred percent values, the individual handicaps of all teams are calculated.
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