Overtake Mode & Active Aero - Explaining F1's New Technical Jargon

Formula 1 has introduced the simplified terminology that will be used to describe the intricate details of its upcoming 2026 regulations.

The championship is embarking on what is considered the biggest technical shift in its competitive history next season, featuring new chassis and engine rules and the mandatory use of fully sustainable fuels.

The revised engines, which maintain the 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid, boast a significantly increased battery power, necessitating key advancements in the vehicles' aerodynamic design.

During grand prix events, pilots will tactically deploy electrical energy – sometimes even hot laps – to achieve the peak performance.

Broad surveys were carried out with a wide range of fans, including long-time followers and newcomers, to identify which terms would make things clearer of the key features of the upcoming rules.

The key objective was to render a series of complex technical aspects of the racing as easy to grasp as possible for the broadest viewership.

Consequently, older technical labels for certain devices – such as "modes labelled X and Z" for the active aerodynamics – have been discarded in preference for intuitive labels that clearly indicate the primary purpose of the technology.

Exploring the New Tech

Regulators explain that competitors will have increased agency to determine tactics regarding energy deployment, harvesting, and saving energy.

The new regulations mandate a series of modes that will be visually displayed on broadcast screens to aid the fans' insight of the strategic duel.

• Overtake Mode: This replaces the present overtaking aid. It provides a burst of extra electrical energy deployable when a driver is less than a second the vehicle in front to assist with an overtake.
• Extra Push Mode: This is a driver-operated energy deployment from the hybrid system that can be used in overtaking or defending. It delivers the pilot peak output at the activation of a control.

Both of these key functions will have to be deployed strategically, as the available electrical charge is strictly limited.

• Adjustable Aero: Both the front and rear wings change configuration – opening on the high-speed sections for reduced drag and higher speed, and angling down in the bends for optimal cornering performance.
• Energy Harvesting: Cars can recharge the energy store with regenerative braking, or during coasting at the conclusion of a straight or in corners where only reduced throttle is applied.

2026 Car Specifications

The next-generation machines will be more compact and lighter relative to current models, with a wheelbase shortened by 200mm to 3,400mm, car width cut by 100mm – down to 1,900mm – and the minimum weight reduced by 30kg.

Total aerodynamic grip is expected to drop by approximately fifteen to thirty percent, although constructors will inevitably claw this back as they develop their cars.

Drag has been reduced by 40%. The vehicles will utilize moveable wing elements – both wings will adjust on the straight sections to reduce drag and increase straightline speed and revert into place for optimal grip in corners.

Wheels will keep 18-inch wheel rims, but the tyres themselves will be reduced in width, by a quarter-centimetre on the front and 30 millimetres on the rear axle.

Power Unit Revolution

The revised hybrid units will have an near-equal balance in horsepower generated by the internal combustion engine and the battery and motor, increasing from about 20% battery contribution in the current formula.

The ERS setup is streamlined through the deletion of the Motor Generator Unit – Heat, the intricate and expensive unit that harvested power from the turbocharger.

Cars will be obliged to compete on fully sustainable fuel, produced using biomass or lab-created processes.