F1 has announced that an ‘overtaking mode’ will replace DRS from the 2026 F1 season as part of a major overhaul of the sport’s regulations.
The overhaul, described by Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle as the “biggest ever”, will include movable wings on the front and rear of the car, which drivers will be able to use on every lap during the race.
Drivers also have a “boost mode” that can be used at any point during a lap, pushing a button to unleash maximum power from the engine and battery (which accounts for 50% of the power). This will be similar to the KERS system used in F1 from 2009 to 2013.
F1 says the new cars will give drivers “more power than ever before” as they need to understand how to extract the most lap time per lap in qualifying and wheel-to-wheel battles.
The overtaking mode, which is an alternative to DRS, can only be used if the driver passes the detection point and is one second behind another car, as is the case with DRS. The extra power can be used all at once or spread over one lap, but F1 has not yet announced how many seconds per lap drivers will be able to use overtaking mode.
DRS was introduced in F1 in 2011, but will no longer be used from 2026.
The combination of overtake mode and boost mode promises better racing, and the new car is set up to make it easier for cars behind to follow.
Mercedes driver George Russell said: “I think we’re going to see a lot more overtaking next year, but we’re going to see a lot more overtaking in less obvious places, places where we haven’t seen overtaking before.”
“If a driver’s battery is at the bottom and the driver behind him has more battery left, you can suddenly jump over him on certain sections of the track in corners where you wouldn’t have been able to pass him before. I think the 2026 regulations will provide a better race.”
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Sky Sports’ Craig Slater explains what the new 2026 regulations mean for next year’s racing
How do movable wings work?
Moving wings, known as “active aero,” will be the most visible change in 2026.
The car runs in default mode in corners with the wing flaps closed to increase downforce, but on designated straights the driver can activate “straight mode” which opens the wings to increase drag and increase top speed.
Higher top speeds mean wider braking zones, which should also help with overtaking, so we could see a return to the long-gone movement of drivers passing each other, a move that Daniel Ricciardo perfected during his time at Red Bull.
New F1 cars in 2026 will be smaller and lighter than previous generation cars
The new power unit will be 50% internal combustion and 50% electric, the MGU-H (power unit component) will be removed and the output of the MGU-K (generator that recovers electrical energy) will increase from 120kW to 350kW.
This allows the driver to lift up at the end of the straight and recover more electrical energy into the MGU-K, which can then be used for acceleration out of corners. As a result, we might see some interesting racing scenarios.
If one driver lifts into the braking zone and the other doesn’t, you may see a distant driver suddenly drop down inside the car in front of you.
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Earlier this year, Jim Farley and Laurent Mekies discussed Ford and Red Bull’s collaboration for 2026 and Max Verstappen’s involvement in next season’s car.
Williams driver Alex Albon said: “You look at Formula E as a more extreme version of where we’re going. You see how the drivers manipulate the race and qualifying, how it unfolds and they do all these things to improve their performance.”
“It won’t be that extreme, but some of the drivers who understand all these demands and have the brain power to facilitate them will do well.
Watch every race of the 2026 F1 season live on Sky Sports, including the Australian Grand Prix from March 6-8. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
