One of the loudest concerns about Formula 1's overhauled 2026 regulations has always been Eau Rouge. The famous uphill complex at Spa-Francorchamps demands brutal commitment, sustained downforce and uninterrupted power delivery — exactly the things some engineers worried the new lower-drag, electrically heavier cars might struggle to sustain. But footage that surfaced this week from a private Spa test session suggests those fears may be overdone.
The Pitstop YouTube channel was among the first to break down the leaked test footage, with the host walking through what he saw in detail. He confirmed that both Ferrari and McLaren had cars on track, and the early visual read was overwhelmingly positive.
"O Rouge is one of those tracks that everyone's been worried about, right?" the host noted, voicing the concern that has hung over the regulation set since it was first published. "Cuz they're like, you know, it's got that long hill straight up there. Are the cars going to be able to get up?"
The answer, on the evidence of this test, was an emphatic yes.
"Oh, wow. They went really quick," the host said as he watched the cars complete the climb. "Don't they look good, mate? They look safe. They look safe. Drivers a bit higher off the ground."
The higher ride height observation matters. One of the more contested elements of the 2026 package is its move away from the extreme low-rake, ground-effect philosophy of the 2022-2025 cars. Several drivers have complained that the new cars feel less planted at high downforce circuits, but at Spa — where the long Kemmel straight, Eau Rouge and Pouhon test the chassis in different ways — a slightly higher ride height appears to have produced a stable, flowing performance through the most committed corner on the calendar.
The presence of two top teams running side-by-side at Spa in private testing is significant in its own right. The current Pirelli development calendar has been used by teams to gather private mileage on filming day allocations and tyre evaluations, but Spa has been a politically sensitive choice given the regulation debates of the past month. Both Ferrari and McLaren clearly felt the data was worth the optics.
"They got the Ferrari and the McLaren going up there testing," the host said, pointing out specific aerodynamic details on the cars. "And yeah, front wing looks nice."
For the FIA and Formula 1, the footage will come as a quiet relief. Concerns about Eau Rouge had grown loud enough in recent weeks that the WMSC's mid-season tweaks to the 2026 regulations — pushed through ahead of the Miami Grand Prix — were partly justified by the need to ensure consistent power delivery on long, climbing straights. If the cars in this test footage were already capable of attacking the climb cleanly, the rule changes Miami brings in should only widen the safety margin.
The Pitstop host closed his analysis with a note of relief that probably reflects the wider paddock view this week.
"Well, thank God," he said. "I mean, thank God that they're doing these tests."
Spa hosts the Belgian Grand Prix later this season, and the leaked footage is unlikely to be the last preview fans get of the new cars on F1's most fearsome corner. But for now, the visuals from this private test have done something the 2026 regulations have struggled to do for months: they have generated optimism instead of alarm.
Source: newsformula.one