A new era of Formula 1

The stakes are high for Formula 1 as the paddock heads into the 2026 season, which marks one of the biggest technical regulation overhauls for car design in F1 history, with both the engine and aerodynamic rules changing. The engines now rely on more electrical power, which has changed the sport's aerodynamic philosophy and led to the development of a new system called 'active aero'.

The 2026 technical regulation overhaul means DRS, as fans knew it, is gone. The new active aero system still uses movable rear wing flaps, but now the front wings change shape too — and crucially, any driver can use it on a straight, not just those within a second of the car ahead. The main aim is energy efficiency: reducing drag on the straights so the cars don't drain their batteries just to maintain speed.

Welcome to Overtake Mode

The desire to boost overtaking led to the introduction of a dedicated Overtake Mode in the new, more powerful hybrid engines. The rules for its use are similar to DRS, with activation points around the track. Drivers wait until they are within a second of the car ahead to deploy an engine energy boost at a detection point. The FIA anticipates "the chances of an overtake occurring will also be increased by the leading car's energy deployment tapering off after 290km/h, while the car behind can use the override for a full 350kW up to 337km/h." In layman's terms, the leading car's power tapers off as it harvests energy at the end of a straight, while a chasing car in Overtake Mode can keep pushing to full power.

Drivers voiced concerns about overtaking difficulty during preseason testing. "Our drivers have been racing with other drivers during these (tests) in Bahrain, and they found it extremely difficult to overtake," said McLaren team principal Andrea Stella. "As an F1 community, we should look at what can be done to make sure that we have a sensible feasibility when it comes to overtaking. Otherwise, we lose one of the fundamental elements of the nature of racing."

Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli described F1 racing in 2026 as "speed chess," adding: "When you're planning an overtake or when you're defending, you always have to try and be two steps ahead of the other and trying to predict him or force him to do something." He also warned that the closing speeds could be "very, very big."

Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, noted the visual change for fans. "DRS was quite nice in a way that it was very visual. You saw (the rear wing) pop open, and it was very easy to predict an overtake was happening," he said. "Whereas now, you don't have that visual reference." Ferrari's Charles Leclerc said he finds it "extremely difficult" to pass, adding: "It might improve with time... but it always comes with a price whenever you've got to overtake. The price is a lot more costly than it was in the past."

Slower, lighter and harder to drive

The overhaul has also changed how the cars feel. F1 has ditched ground effect as the main downforce generator as part of a regulation cycle centered on making the cars more agile. The FIA estimates a drop in downforce of between 20 and 25 percent from 2025 to 2026, meaning some high-speed corners — such as Eau Rouge at Spa or 130R at Suzuka — may now become more challenging.

Lewis Hamilton told reporters at Bahrain testing that the new cars felt slower than those used in Formula 2. Although factually incorrect — his fastest time was more than 10 seconds quicker than last year's F2 pole — it illustrated the change in feeling. George Russell found the adjustment to reduced downforce "pretty easy," adding: "You push the cars to the limit and it still feels really quick... It's only when you look back at the (speed) overlays of last year and you realize (the 2025 cars were) 30-40 km/h faster in some high-speed corners."

Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson called the loss in downforce the biggest adjustment, saying his car was "pretty tough to drive" and slid more as a result. Jan Monchaux, the FIA's single-seater technical director, argued the challenge would "allow the very good drivers to shine": "Driving a car with less aero load is trickier, and you are more prone to lock tires in braking. There are a lot of things that get trickier, and that's where a top driver among the 22 Formula 1 drivers may be able to shine more."

Not every verdict has been positive. Max Verstappen called the cars "anti-racing" and "not a lot of fun," while Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto saw the upside: "Everyone always thinks that because you have faster cars, it's always more enjoyable. But sometimes it's also enjoyable to have a car that has less grip. You play more with it." As the new era gets going, the topic is set to rumble on.