2026 F1 rules: how override and active aerodynamics will work

11/11/2024 12:50 PM

Formula 1 is in the final phase of the 2024 season, the critical moment for awarding world titles, but behind the scenes, work is already underway for the future with the next generation of cars set to debut in 2026, marking a new technical cycle. The Power Unit regulations have been known for several years, giving manufacturers the time needed to develop future units that will hit the track in two seasons, while the chassis and aerodynamic regulations were only released a few months ago, raising immediate questions.

The Power Units of the next regulatory cycle will place greater emphasis on the electric component with a different distribution of power: hybrid energy will rise to around 50% of the total, significantly reducing the contribution of the internal combustion engine compared to current units. The chassis regulations were specifically designed with this balance and the associated limitations in mind.

One method employed by the FIA is to introduce a more prominent use of active aerodynamics on the straights to further reduce drag and lower energy demands. Another feature involves managing the Power Unit itself: an artificial, gradual reduction in electric power will be triggered above a certain speed set by the FIA to conserve energy. However, for overtaking, there will be a special mode called "override," which will provide a power boost. Let's see how these systems will work according to the latest draft regulations.

One of the key changes for 2026 will be the extended use of movable aerodynamics, which today exists only as DRS to facilitate overtaking. In the next technical cycle, it will play a crucial role, but not to aid overtaking—instead, it will manage energy to ensure cars reach the end of the race. Less drag on straights also means lower energy consumption.

Active aerodynamics, which will involve rotating the front and rear wing flaps into a reclined position ("Low Drag Mode") or standard position ("High Drag Mode"), can be activated by the driver via a button on the steering wheel, similar to the current DRS system. However, the driver will only be able to activate low drag mode in specific zones designated by the FIA for safety reasons.

"The way the front wing moves when cars are on a straight has a more powerful effect than DRS. If the front wing is not adjusted along with the rear wing, the car would have a lot of front downforce and very little at the rear. Simulations with teams have shown that when adjusting the rear wing angle, the front wing also needs to be adjusted," explained Nikolas Tombazis, FIA Head of Single-Seater Technical Matters.

"The mechanism to activate active aerodynamics has been the subject of recent meetings with the teams, and several options were presented on how to regulate it. Now we have a clear idea of how it will work and how to integrate it into the regulations," added Tombazis during the presentation of the updated regulations revealed in October.

These activation zones, as currently done for DRS, will be defined by the FIA from track to track and communicated to the teams at least four weeks before the GP, allowing teams to input the information into their simulators for event preparation. Each activation zone will be marked with a white line on the asphalt, and it's likely that drivers will have a small LED on the steering wheel indicating not only the chance to use active aerodynamics but also whether it has been activated. Drivers will not be able to use it during an event if the FIA disables the system due to low grip or poor visibility, such as rain, or when a yellow flag is shown in one of the activation zones.

It's important to note that, unlike the current DRS, the use of active aero will be independent of the gap to the car ahead and can be used whenever approved by the FIA. This is because active aero will play a key role in managing energy during qualifying or the race, while an alternative mode of Power Unit utilization, called Override Mode, has been designed to facilitate overtaking.

Overtaking phases are inevitably central to the race's economy, so with DRS replaced by active aerodynamics, the FIA had to devise another way to support duels, while keeping in mind the limitations of current Power Units. This was no simple task; although the Override Mode may seem to echo the old KERS used until 2013, it's actually a much more complex system.

Under the governing body's formulas, in "standard" mode, drivers can use the full 350 kW allowed by the regulations up to 290 km/h; beyond that speed, power will be artificially reduced gradually, down to an output of 105 kW when the car reaches 339 km/h. At 340 km/h, there will be a further, sharper power reduction: when the car reaches 345 km/h, MGU-K support will be disabled, meaning the Power Unit will rely only on the thermal component.

An exception to this is the "override" mode, which extends the use of the full 350 kW up to 337 km/h, providing a clear power surplus. As in standard mode, in override mode, available kW will progressively decrease beyond that speed, reaching zero when the car hits 355 km/h. This option gives drivers more freedom during duels, like a push-to-pass: for example, at 345 km/h, the override mode will provide 200 kW (approximately 270 hp) more than standard mode.

Interestingly, these modes represent the upper limit across the championship, but in practice, the FIA can adjust these parameters depending on track characteristics. Tombazis had hinted at this because different circuits require different energy profiles: for tracks with low speeds like Budapest or Monaco, parameters could vary from those at Monza or Spa, with long straights. This is also due to the fact that not all tracks allow for the recovery of 8.5 MJ of energy per lap, so it might be reduced to 8 MJ.

In a way, the use of override will mimic DRS, but instead of opening a movable wing, it will provide a power boost. However, to use it, drivers will still need to be within a certain time gap to the car ahead at the detection line, known as the "Detection Line," and then activate the mode from the "Activation Line" in specific track zones. For DRS, the gap to the car in front must be within one second at the detection line to activate the wing; from 2026, with Override Mode, this parameter will be set by the FIA race by race, based on track characteristics, making it variable rather than fixed, allowing the effectiveness to be assessed and adjusting ease of overtaking.

To distinguish from the active aerodynamics indication, which will be marked by a white line on the track, the override mode will be marked in yellow. It can also be used in qualifying, while in the race, it will be disabled in conditions of low grip or visibility, or in case of a yellow flag in an activation zone. The override mode will be deactivated when a driver passes the activation line and the gap to the car in front exceeds the FIA-set threshold at the detection line.

In the event of a malfunction in qualifying or the race of either the active aerodynamics or the override system, teams will have recovery options available, subject to FIA approval.

— see video above —

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