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Formula 1 has revealed the official terminology that will be used to reference the intricate details of its upcoming 2026 regulations.

The championship is implementing what is arguably the largest technical shift in its long history next season, featuring revised car and engine specifications and the mandatory use of fully sustainable fuels.

The new power units, which maintain the 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid, boast a greatly enhanced electrical capacity, necessitating major innovations in the vehicles' aerodynamic design.

During grand prix events, pilots will strategically manage battery power – potentially on hot laps – to secure the best result.

Extensive fan consultation were conducted with a mix of viewers, including long-time followers and newcomers, to identify which phrases would improve understanding of the main elements of the 2026 changes.

The key objective was to make a series of complex technical aspects of the racing as easy to grasp as possible for the global fanbase.

Consequently, previous placeholder terms for certain devices – such as "modes labelled X and Z" for the moveable wings – have been discarded in preference for straightforward terms that succinctly convey the real-world effect of the technology.

Exploring the New Tech

Regulators explain that drivers will have more power to make decisions regarding power usage, energy recovery, and saving energy.

The 2026 rules feature a range of settings that will be visually displayed on TV overlays to enhance the fans' insight of the strategic duel.

• Overtake Mode: This takes over from the current DRS. It provides a surge of additional ERS power deployable when a driver is close behind the car ahead to execute an pass.
• Boost Mode: This is a on-demand battery discharge from the energy recovery system that can be utilized during overtaking or defending. It delivers the pilot maximum power at the click of a switch.

Both of these key functions will have to be managed carefully, as the total energy is capped.

• Adjustable Aero: Both the car's wings adjust their angles – opening on the long straight sections for reduced drag and increased velocity, and sealing in the corners for maximum downforce.
• Energy Harvesting: Cars can replenish their battery with energy harvested under braking, or during partial power application at the conclusion of a straight or in sections where only limited engine output is used.

What's Changing on the Cars?

The vehicles for the new era will be smaller and lighter relative to current models, with a distance between axles reduced by 200mm to 3,400mm, overall width cut by 100mm – down to 1,900mm – and the car weight reduced by 30kg.

Cumulative downforce is projected to decrease by approximately 15-30%, although constructors will inevitably claw this back as they refine their designs.

Air resistance has been cut by 40%. The vehicles will utilize adjustable aero systems – front and rear wings will move on the straights to cut resistance and enhance velocity and revert into place for optimal grip in corners.

Wheels will retain the current rim size, but the actual tyres will be reduced in width, by a quarter-centimetre on the front and 30 millimetres on the rear axle.

2026 Engine Regulations

The 2026 engines will have an roughly half-and-half distribution in energy output by the ICE and the battery and motor, up from about one-fifth electric power in the current formula.

The ERS setup is simplified through the elimination of the Motor Generator Unit – Heat, the complicated and costly unit that generated electricity from the exhaust turbo.

All vehicles will be mandated to operate on fully sustainable fuel, created from biomass or synthetic industrial processes.