By Nigel De Souza
The rules are changing in Formula 1 racing this year. In fact, the new regulations represent the biggest make-over in the history of the sport. Along with physical changes, Formula 1 has also introduced new terms that fans will need to get familiar with. In case you missed some of these additions to the rules and jargon in the offseason, here are the most important changes that you need to know about this season.
New power unit
By far the biggest change in the 2026 season is the different power units in each car. In 2014, Formula 1 welcomed hybrid power units which led their cars being the most reliable, economical and fastest in the sport’s history. This year, a new generation of power units will be taking over. This new unit is still the original 1.6-litre turbocharged V6 engine, but it leaves behind the Motor Generator Unit-Heat (MGU-H). The original power unit used two energy recovery systems being the MGU-H which harnessed the flow of exhaust gases, and the Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K) which harvests energy under braking. The MGU-H removal was done to simplify the engines and reduce costs. This new MGU-K is more reliant on electrical energy, and much more powerful than before, giving cars 350kW of power compared to 120kW in the old unit.
Car size and weight
This year, the cars are noticeably smaller. The length of the wheelbase has been shortened by 200mm to 3.4m, and the width of the floor is 100mm narrower to 1.9m to make the cars more agile and responsive for the drivers. To go with the size reduction of the body, the 18-inch Pirelli tires have been narrowed by 25mm at the front and 30mm at the back. The regulations also feature a reduction in the car’s minimum weight, down from 768kg to 800kg. The change in dimension will work with the new power unit to make the cars faster, but also will make it easier for drivers to overtake on narrow street circuits like Monaco.
Active aero
Formula 1 will have full-time active aerodynamics this season. Teams will be able to have more control of their cars and adjust the angle of their front and rear wings depending on where they are on the track. Active aero allows them to choose between two modes: straight mode and corner mode. Straight mode is used on straight areas of circuits. The dynamic flaps will open up to give cars less drag and increase their speed. Corner mode is used on sharp turns where the flaps will stay closed to maintain downforce and give drivers the grip they need to maintain their speed.
Overtake mode
Drag Reduction System (DRS) is no longer part of Formula 1. Overtake mode is being introduced as its replacement where it will give drivers access to more electric power at higher speeds. Like DRS, overtake mode will be available to drivers as long as they’re within a second of the car ahead of them at a detection point. However, differing from DRS, overtake mode can be available at any point around the track, rather than on a specific straight.
Boost mode
This mode allows drivers to gain complete access to the power of the MGU-K with a button on their steering wheel. Designed to be used when battling other cars, drivers can push the button to ignore the car’s regular power deployment and regeneration system to fight for position with an opponent.This system was in place before but did not offer much of an impact to drivers as the engines were not as powerful as they are now.
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