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The world of Formula 1 has unveiled the new language that will be used to describe the intricate details of its new 2026 rulebook.

The racing series is introducing what is considered the biggest technical shift in its competitive history for the 2026 campaign, featuring new chassis and engine rules and the compulsory introduction of 100% sustainable fuels.

The revised engines, which maintain the 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid, boast a significantly increased electrical capacity, driving key advancements in the aero packages.

Throughout races, drivers will carefully oversee battery power – potentially on flying laps – to extract the best performance.

Wide-ranging research were conducted with a wide range of fans, including new, casual and core fans, to understand which terms would improve understanding of the central aspects of the upcoming rules.

The stated goal was to make a series of complex new areas of the racing as accessible as possible for the widest audience.

Consequently, previous placeholder terms for some systems – such as "modes labelled X and Z" for the active aerodynamics – have been abandoned in favor of descriptive names that succinctly convey the real-world effect of the system.

Key Technical Innovations

According to rule-makers that drivers will have increased agency to determine tactics regarding power usage, energy recovery, and conservation.

The upcoming changes introduce a set of functions that will be visually displayed on TV overlays to aid the fans' insight of the on-track action.

• Attack Mode: This replaces the existing Drag Reduction System. It provides a surge of additional ERS power accessible when a competitor is less than a second the leading car to execute an pass.
• Power Mode: This is a on-demand power boost from the energy recovery system that can be utilized during attack or defence. It grants the driver peak output at the click of a switch.

Both of these crucial modes will have to be managed carefully, as the overall battery capacity is capped.

• Active Aero: Both the car's wings move automatically – flattening on the straights for reduced drag and top speed, and angling down in the turns for optimal cornering performance.
• Battery Recharge: The system can recharge the energy store with energy harvested under braking, or during throttle lift at the end of straights or in certain corners where only partial power is required.

Car Design Evolution

The 2026 cars will be smaller and lighter relative to current models, with a distance between axles shortened by 200mm to 3,400mm, overall width reduced by 100mm – down to 1,900mm – and the lowest permissible weight lowered by 30kg.

Overall downforce is projected to decrease by approximately fifteen to thirty percent, although constructors will naturally regain performance as they refine their designs.

Air resistance has been slashed by 40%. The cars will utilize active aerodynamics – front and rear wings will move on the straights to improve speed and increase straightline speed and revert into place for maximum cornering performance.

Tyres will keep the current rim size, but the tyres themselves will be reduced in width, by 25 millimetres on the front axle and three centimetres on the rear.

Power Unit Revolution

The new power units will have an approximate 50-50 split in power produced by the petrol engine and the electrical system, up from about one-fifth electric power under present rules.

The hybrid system is made less complex through the removal of the complex turbo energy recovery device, the complicated and costly component that generated electricity from the turbo.

Every car on the grid will be mandated to operate on carbon-neutral fuel, produced using plant-based materials or synthetic industrial processes.