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The 2026 Formula 1 season introduces one of the biggest technical regulation changes in the sport’s history.
Cars will soon be carried by a much larger percentage of electrical power, and will have less drag and downforce than their predecessors that raced from 2022 to 2025.
With new regulations have come new terminology, based on the new strategic variables at play and differences to the outgoing rules.
These were given preliminary names in draft versions of the regulations, but have since been refined by F1 and the FIA, along with the teams and other stakeholders.
The organises tested different options for the new terms via third-party polling and a survey of 50,000 fans of different ages.
The championship has stated that its goal is to ‘avoid gimmicks and jargon’ by opting for ‘simple, more objective and meaningful language’ when discussing the new breed of cars.
Although DRS as an overtaking aid has been axed, viewers will continue to see a rear wing flap opening on the straights to reduce drag.
The difference is that, from 2026, this drag reduction will be a standard part of F1 car operation, and not a differentiator used in overtaking.
In addition to the moveable rear wing flap, there will also be moveable flaps on the front wing.
When the flaps are open, drag will be reduced. This is known as Straight mode (formerly X-mode).
As the car approaches a corner, the flaps will close, increasing downforce and the car’s potential cornering speed.
This is known as Corner mode (formerly Y-mode) and is effectively the standard mode of F1 car operation.
This will replace DRS as the driver-initiated overtaking aid.
It was initially known as Manual Override Mode (MOM), which despite being truer to the technology’s function, was less indicative of what that function would be used for.
To make things simpler, F1 has introduced Overtake mode.
It will provide 0.5MJ of additional electrical energy to a driver that is within one second of the driver ahead when passing over a designated activation zone.
As was the case for DRS, the Overtake mode detection and activation lines will be marked by a yellow line across the track.
The pursuing driver will see a message on their steering wheel telling them Overtake mode is enabled.
In standard configuration, a 2026 F1 car’s energy deployment will taper off from 290km/h, whereas a car using Overtake mode can use a full 350kW up to 337km/h.
This is the capture of energy from braking, lift-and-coast or partial throttle application through corners.
The captured energy is stored in the ERS (battery) for deployment later in the race.
It is up to the drivers and teams how much emphasis they put on recharging the battery.
This is the deployment of electrical energy that has been stored in the ERS.
The energy is deployed to the wheels via the MGU-K which has received a significant power output boost of around 300 per cent.
Boost mode can be used anywhere on the track at any time, making it a continuous strategic tool.
Racecar Engineering is the world’s leading publication for motorsport technology and engineering. Every issue provides unrivalled technical analysis of everything from World Championship series including Formula 1, to grass roots racing. Using the expertise of industry professionals, we look in detail at racecar design and innovation, whilst also keeping you up to date with news and developments from all the major race series across the globe.
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