Boost, overtake and recharge – Formula One announces new terms for 2026
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The new F1 cars will be thinner and lighter, with narrower tyres and a 50/50 split on internal combustion, using sustainable fuel and electric power.
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LONDON – Formula One fans will be hearing a lot about boost, overtake, active aero and recharge in 2026 after saying farewell to DRS, the drag reduction system that provided an extra burst of speed for overtaking.
The Liberty Media-owned sport announced revised terminology on Dec 17 to accompany the start of a new engine era and what it is calling the biggest-ever overhaul of the technical regulations.
The cars will be thinner and lighter, with narrower tyres and a 50/50 split on internal combustion, using sustainable fuel and electric power.
“In this new generation, the drivers have more power in their hands than ever before,” Formula One said in a statement.
“Critical decision-making over energy deployment, regeneration and conservation puts even greater responsibility on them.
“Understanding how they will deploy and use these new tactical elements will be vital in ensuring the greatest appreciation of their skill and race craft.”
F1 said that it wanted to avoid “gimmicks and jargon” and had finalised a list of new terms after consulting the governing FIA, teams, engineers and fans new and old.
Overtake mode replaces DRS, a strategic tool giving extra power for overtaking to drivers who are within a second of the car in front. It can be used in one go or spread over a lap.
Boost mode is a driver-operated energy deployment used in attack or defence, depending on track position. It will provide maximum power from the engine and battery, anywhere on the track, at the push of a button.
Active aero refers to movable front and rear wing elements with corner and straight modes. Formula One says it will enable “strategic adaptability and maximises full usage of the car’s power through greater on-track grip”.
Recharge will be any opportunity for drivers to recharge their car’s battery with “recovered energy from braking, on throttle lift at the end of straights and even corners where only part power is applied”.
Mercedes’ George Russell, who was fourth in the drivers’ championship, was one of the first drivers to comment on the changes.
Commenting on the overtake and boost modes, he told Sky Sports: “I think you will see more overtakes next year, but more overtakes in obscure locations – in locations where we’ve never seen overtakes before.
“If a driver’s at the bottom of their battery and the one behind has more battery, in a given section of the track, they can suddenly jump past them at a corner in the past where there would never be an overtake. I think the 2026 regs will offer better racing.”
Williams driver Alexander Albon, eighth in the drivers’ standings, believes there will be a lot of brain work and strategy next season.
“Look at Formula E as a more extreme version as to where we’re going to go to. You can see how the drivers manipulate the racing and qualifying and how they deploy and all these kind of things to gain performance,” he said.
“It’s not going to be that extreme, but there will be an element of the drivers who have the brain capacity to understand and facilitate all these demands will go well.”
REUTERS
