Alonso Expresses Confidence in Aston Martin's Latest Chassis Design; Grosjean Set for IndyCar Return

Fernando Alonso has voiced his full confidence in Aston Martin's new chassis specification, dismissing any technical concerns heading into the season. Meanwhile, Romain Grosjean is preparing for a comeback to IndyCar racing in 2026.

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Among the key headlines emerging from this weekend's F1 paddock, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has made clear his satisfaction with the mechanical foundations of Aston Martin's new car. When addressing questions about potential weaknesses in the chassis design, Alonso firmly stated there are "no question marks on the chassis side," signaling his confidence as the team pushes forward with its latest technical package.

In separate news from the motorsport world, former grand prix driver Romain Grosjean is set to make his return to competitive racing through IndyCar this year, marking his comeback to a major racing series following his previous commitments elsewhere.

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technical Regulations

Art. C3.5.12

Art. C3.8.3

Hover over badges for quick summaries, or scroll down for full official text and simplified explanations.

Full Regulation Text

Technical Regulations

Article C3.5.12

FIA Source

Floor Bodywork Group

Chapter: C3

In Simple Terms

This rule defines what counts as the car's 'floor bodywork' - basically, once all the individual floor components listed in the previous articles are properly built and assembled together, that complete assembly is officially called the Floor Bodywork Group. It's like saying 'these are all the parts that make up your floor, and when put together, we call it this.'

Floor Bodywork is the union of all floor components defined in Articles C3.5.1 through C3.5.11
Components must be constructed in accordance with all FIA regulations, including any sub-assembly operations
This is a definitional article establishing what constitutes the Floor Bodywork Group for technical compliance purposes
All sub-components must be properly assembled to create the complete Floor Bodywork unit

Official FIA Text

Once components defined in Articles C3.5.1 to C3.5.11 have been constructed in accordance with provisions, including sub-assembly operations, the resulting union is defined as Floor Bodywork.

floor bodyworkfloor componentsbodywork groupfloor assemblysub-assembly

2026 Season Regulations

Technical Regulations

Article C3.8.3

FIA Source

Rear Bodywork Assembly

Chapter: C3

In Simple Terms

The rear bodywork of an F1 car (the sidepods and engine cover) must form one continuous, solid shape with no gaps, overlaps, or disconnected sections. Think of it like clay that's been molded into one unified piece rather than separate parts stuck together.

The sidepods and engine cover combine to create the rear bodywork assembly
Must be a single, simply connected volume with no separate or floating sections
Cannot have overlapping regions - parts cannot occupy the same space
Once fully defined, the shape must be valid and properly connected

Official FIA Text

Rear Bodywork Assembly results from the Trim and Combination of Sidepod and Engine Cover. Once fully defined, it must be a single, simply connected volume, with no overlapping regions.

rear bodyworksidepodengine coverconnected volumeoverlapping regions

2026 Season Regulations