Active Aero & Overtake Mode - Understanding F1's New Technical Jargon
The 2026 Formula 1 cars are designed to be smaller, nimbler and more environmentally friendly than this year.
F1 has revealed the simplified vocabulary that will be used to reference the advanced features of its upcoming 2026 regulations.
The championship is implementing what is considered the biggest rules overhaul in its competitive history starting in 2026, featuring fresh chassis and power unit regulations and the required adoption of fully sustainable fuels.
The updated 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrids, which keep the 1.6-litre V6 configuration, boast a substantially higher energy storage, driving major innovations in the aero packages.
Over a race distance, pilots will tactically deploy electrical energy – potentially on qualifying laps – to secure the optimal result.
Wide-ranging research were undertaken with a mix of viewers, including dedicated enthusiasts and casual observers, to identify which phrases would aid comprehension of the key features of the upcoming rules.
The primary aim was to render a range of advanced technical aspects of the racing as easy to grasp as possible for the widest audience.
Consequently, older technical labels for specific components – such as "x-mode and z-mode" for the adjustable aero – have been discarded in preference for straightforward terms that directly explain the actual function of the system.
Exploring the New Tech
The FIA states that drivers will have increased agency to determine tactics regarding power usage, energy recovery, and saving energy.
The upcoming changes feature a range of settings that will be clearly indicated on broadcast screens to enhance the viewers' comprehension of the race battle.
- Passing Mode: This supersedes the present overtaking aid. It provides a surge of additional ERS power deployable when a competitor is within one second the car ahead to execute an overtaking maneuver.
- Extra Push Mode: This is a on-demand battery discharge from the hybrid system that can be utilized during attack or defence. It provides the driver maximum power at the push of a button.
Both of these strategic tools will have to be managed carefully, as the overall battery capacity is capped.
- Active Aero: Both the nose and rear wings change configuration – opening on the high-speed sections for reduced drag and higher speed, and sealing in the corners for optimal cornering performance.
- Recharge: The system can replenish their battery with regenerative braking, or during coasting at the straight's end or in corners where only partial power is required.
What's Changing on the Cars?
The 2026 cars will be more compact and lighter relative to current models, with a wheelbase reduced by 200mm to 3,400mm, overall width reduced by 100mm – down to 1,900mm – and the lowest permissible weight reduced by 30kg.
Total aerodynamic grip is projected to decrease by approximately 15-30%, although squads will inevitably claw this back as they optimize their packages.
Drag has been reduced by 40%. The cars will employ moveable wing elements – both wings will open on the straight sections to reduce drag and boost top speed and click back into place for peak handling.
Pirelli tyres will continue to use the current rim size, but the actual tyres will be slimmer, by a quarter-centimetre on the front and 30 millimetres on the rear axle.
2026 Engine Regulations
The 2026 engines will have an near-equal balance in energy output by the internal combustion engine and the electrical system, a rise from about 20% electrical in the current formula.
The hybrid system is simplified through the deletion of the complex turbo energy recovery device, the intricate and expensive component that generated electricity from the turbo.
All vehicles will be required to run on fully sustainable fuel, produced using organic sources or lab-created processes.