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F1 has revealed the simplified terminology that will be used to reference the advanced features of its new 2026 technical rules.

The sport is embarking on what is potentially the largest regulation change in its competitive history for the 2026 campaign, featuring revised car and engine specifications and the mandatory use of 100% sustainable fuels.

The new power units, which retain the 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid, boast a greatly enhanced energy storage, driving key advancements in the aero packages.

Throughout races, pilots will tactically deploy battery power – potentially on flying laps – to achieve the best lap time.

Wide-ranging research were undertaken with a mix of viewers, including dedicated enthusiasts and casual observers, to identify which phrases would make things clearer of the main elements of the new regulations.

The key objective was to make a series of complex technical aspects of the sport as easy to grasp as possible for the widest audience.

Consequently, older technical labels for certain devices – such as "modes labelled X and Z" for the active aerodynamics – have been abandoned in preference for intuitive labels that clearly indicate the primary purpose of the innovation.

What's the New Technology?

Regulators explain that racers will have more power to make decisions regarding energy deployment, energy recovery, and efficiency.

The 2026 rules introduce a range of settings that will be shown on TV overlays to improve the viewers' comprehension of the strategic duel.

• Overtake Mode: This replaces the current DRS. It provides a burst of extra electrical energy deployable when a competitor is within one second the leading car to execute an overtake.
• Extra Push Mode: This is a driver-operated energy deployment from the ERS that can be deployed for offensive or defensive moves. It grants the driver full engine and battery energy at the push of a button.

Both of these crucial modes will have to be deployed strategically, as the overall battery capacity is strictly limited.

• Active Aerodynamics: Both the front and rear wings change configuration – spreading on the high-speed sections for low aerodynamic resistance and increased velocity, and closing in the turns for peak grip.
• Battery Recharge: Drivers can replenish their battery with regenerative braking, or during coasting at the conclusion of a straight or in certain corners where only partial power is used.

2026 Car Specifications

The next-generation machines will be more compact and lighter than this year, with a wheelbase shortened by 200mm to 3,400mm, car width reduced by 100mm – down to 1,900mm – and the car weight decreased by 30kg.

Cumulative downforce is anticipated to be reduced by approximately a significant margin, although teams will inevitably claw this back as they refine their designs.

Air resistance has been slashed by 40%. The vehicles will employ active aerodynamics – both wings will move on the straight sections to improve speed and enhance velocity and revert into place for maximum cornering performance.

Tyres will keep 18-inch wheel rims, but the actual tyres will be reduced in width, by a quarter-centimetre on the front and 30mm at the rear.

2026 Engine Regulations

The revised hybrid units will have an near-equal balance in energy output by the petrol engine and the ERS, a rise from about one-fifth electric power in the current formula.

The energy recovery system is streamlined through the deletion of the MGU-H, the intricate and expensive unit that harvested power from the turbocharger.

All vehicles will be obliged to compete on 100% sustainable fuel, produced using biomass or lab-created processes.