“F1 has chosen that direction for all the right reasons – and I have no doubt that as a sport we can make sure the racing is great,” said no Formula 1 driver about the 2026 regulation changes.
Formula 1’s 2026 cars are tipped to unleash some big overtaking surprises.
As design work gets ever deeper, and simulator models become more sophisticated, teams are discovering that the racing may be totally different to what it is like right now.
A lot has already been said about the way battery energy will need to be carefully managed next year, with the new power units featuring a 50/50 power split between the internal combustion engine and electric.
But how teams approach new active aero elements is also going to have a more significant impact than originally anticipated.
This is why Aston Martin team boss Andy Cowell has teased that “there will be surprises” on this front.
he suggestion is that overtaking will be more frequent, and it may well be happening in places where passing is not so common right now.
But while that may sound exciting, it does not come without risks.
New passing places
As teams have begun working on their simulations to try to get a better understanding of how the racing will shake out, some fascinating scenarios have opened up.
This is a consequence of drivers often not having access to full battery power for every straight around a lap.
This means they are going to need to be smart about where they deploy it, and even where they choose to use the new override mode – which is effectively an overtaking boost button that hands them some extra available energy.
Williams boss James Vowles has suggested that at current tracks where there are just one or two obvious overtaking opportunities – like Spa-Francorchamps’ run to Les Combes – the door could be open for drivers to use extra energy to dive past rivals in different places.
“I think you’ll move away from, say, Spa – where your typical overtaking point is, for example, up into Turn 5,” he said.
“Actually, it opens up the door for a few other areas around that lap.”
Potential speed differentials on offer with override mode could open up chances on several other straights – such as the run down to Pouhon or even through Blanchimont into the chicane.
This could be especially true if drivers ahead are tricked into burning too much energy in the wrong place around the lap.
But even those drivers attacking from behind and wanting to make progress are going to have to be smart about where they pull off their moves.
It will be of no use in burning up all your battery power and override mode capability down the start-finish straight at Monza to pass a rival, for example, if you are then going to find yourself a sitting duck coming out of the first chicane.
Drivers may also find themselves having to be clever when it comes to picking the places where they want to harvest energy and where they want to deploy it.
It may no longer be a case of every straight being about going for maximum power.
One scenario that has been suggested is that in the short blast between the first and second Lesmos at Monza, drivers may find that they are better off backing off there to harvest some energy rather than going flat out.
This will then give them more energy for deployment for the run down to the Ascari chicane, where they can carry their speed for longer.
