🔗 Share this article

Formula 1 has unveiled the new terminology that will be used to explain the advanced features of its new 2026 rulebook.

The sport is implementing what is potentially the largest rules overhaul in its long history next season, featuring fresh chassis and power unit regulations and the mandatory use of fully sustainable fuels.

The new power units, which keep the hybrid V6 layout, boast a substantially higher energy storage, requiring key advancements in the aero packages.

Over a race distance, pilots will carefully oversee electrical energy – including during flying laps – to achieve the optimal lap time.

Extensive fan consultation were conducted with a diverse audience, including dedicated enthusiasts and casual observers, to determine which terms would aid comprehension of the central aspects of the 2026 changes.

The stated goal was to make a set of intricate technical aspects of the sport as straightforward as possible for the global fanbase.

Consequently, older technical labels for certain devices – such as "x-mode and z-mode" for the moveable wings – have been abandoned in favor of straightforward terms that directly explain the real-world effect of the innovation.

Key Technical Innovations

According to rule-makers that racers will have more power to make decisions regarding battery management, regeneration, and efficiency.

The upcoming changes introduce a series of modes that will be visually displayed on TV overlays to aid the audience's understanding of the race battle.

• Passing Mode: This supersedes the current DRS. It provides a surge of additional ERS power available when a competitor is within one second the car ahead to assist with an overtaking maneuver.
• Extra Push Mode: This is a driver-operated energy deployment from the ERS that can be utilized during offensive or defensive moves. It delivers the pilot maximum power at the click of a switch.

Both of these strategic tools will have to be used with calculation, as the overall battery capacity is restricted.

• Active Aerodynamics: Both the car's wings move automatically – spreading on the straights for low aerodynamic resistance and increased velocity, and closing in the turns for optimal cornering performance.
• Recharge: Cars can replenish their battery with power recovered from braking, or during coasting at the end of straights or in sections where only partial power is required.

2026 Car Specifications

The next-generation machines will be more compact and lighter compared to the 2025 spec, with a distance between axles cut by 200mm to 3,400mm, car width narrowed by 100mm – down to 1,900mm – and the minimum weight lowered by 30kg.

Cumulative downforce is projected to decrease by approximately 15-30%, although squads will naturally regain performance as they refine their designs.

Drag has been cut by 40%. The cars will feature active aerodynamics – both wings will open on the straights to improve speed and enhance velocity and return into place for peak handling.

Wheels will continue to use 18-inch wheel rims, but the rubber compounds will be slimmer, by a quarter-centimetre on the front and three centimetres on the rear.

What's Changing in the Engines?

The new power units will have an approximate 50-50 split in power produced by the internal combustion engine and the electrical system, up from about 20% battery contribution this year.

The hybrid system is streamlined through the deletion of the complex turbo energy recovery device, the sophisticated and pricey device that harvested power from the turbo.

Cars will be mandated to operate on 100% sustainable fuel, produced using biomass or lab-created processes.