F1 2026 regulations: Everything you need to know including no DRS, active aero and synthetic fuel

The upcoming regulations have not yet been published nor have the changes been ratified by the World Motor Sport Council – the latter will occur on June 28, 2024 – but the FIA has presented its outline for what the technical and sporting regulations are set to include. 

Including the removal of DRS, the implementation of synthetic fuels, improved electrical power, and lighter cars, here are the changes set to be made to F1 in the future.

A new overtaking aid replaces DRS
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The 2026 F1 cars will use active aerodynamics: movable front and rear wings. This means the Drag Reduction System (DRS) will no longer feature in F1 as an overtaking aid.

As the regulations were announced on June 6, 2026, FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis said: “A significant part of these regulations has involved thinking about the fans. We believe we made a step towards closer racing in 2022, but there were also things we got wrong and we're trying to get it completely right now. We believe the racing will be much more exciting and much closer between cars.”

DRS, which was introduced to F1 in 2011, can be activated by drivers when they are within one second of the car in front at prescribed points around a circuit.  

From 2026, drivers will be able to use active aerodynamics to reduce downforce and drag on any straight, whether they are following or chasing another car. This will increase their top speed and therefore cause the Motor Generator Unit - Kinetic (MGU-K) to regenerate more energy from the brakes at the end of the straight. Of course, if the following and chasing car both activate this system, they will essentially cancel each other out.

The new overtaking aid comes in the form of a ‘Manual Override’ concerning the MGU-K. From 2026, every driver will see energy deployment from the MGU-K taper off when they reach 290km/h, and reach zero at 355km/h. The driver following will however be able to activate that MGU-K Override, which gives them 350 kilowatts (kW) of extra energy and 0.5 Megajoules (MJ) of extra energy up to 337km/h.

The specifics – including how close the following driver will need to be and at which points and how often they can activate the Override – are yet to be announced.

As touched on before, drivers will be able to use active aerodynamics to their advantage. They will be able to use two modes at predetermined points around the track: X-Mode and Z-Mode. X-Mode will use the moving elements of the front and rear wings to reduce drag on the straights, in a similar manner to the existing DRS. Z-Mode will be the default setting that increases downforce and cornering speeds. 

FIA head of aerodynamics Jason Somerville explained in the FIA’s Q&A document: “One of the main changes for 2026 aerodynamically hinges on reducing the drag from the rear wing. In order to reduce the overall drag, we have an active portion of the rear wing, akin to the DRS system that we currently have, although with more moving elements, which move to a greater degree. 

“From our simulation work with the teams and their drivers, as soon as you have a rear wing that moves to reach the target drag level, it was clear that you needed to have an active front wing to match the balance characteristics. There were certain conditions where the drivers didn't feel comfortable with a large forward aero balance, meaning lots of downforce on the front and not much downforce on the rear. So that led us towards the need to have an active front wing, as well as an active rear wing.”

With new rear and front wing designs, the FIA estimates that downforce will be reduced by 30% and drag by 55%. 

Synthetic fuel and power unit changes
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The next generation of F1 power units are set to derive more of their power from the electrical element of the engine and less power from the internal combustion engine. The Motor Generator Unit - Heat (MGU-H), which converts heat energy from exhaust gases to potential energy, will be removed for cost and simplification reasons. Instead, the MGU-K, which harnesses braking energy, will be expanded, and the battery element of the power unit will provide 350kW of energy compared to its current output of 120kW. 

“We want to have the focus of the development on the energy storage and the MGU-K, which means the combustion engine is not supposed to become as big a performance differentiator as it potentially is now,” said FIA single-seater technical director Jan Monchaux in the same FIA Q&A document that was issued as the rules  changes were announced.

The amount of energy that can be recuperated during braking is set to double and drivers will now have 8.5 MJ of energy to recuperate per lap. 

“We also are putting together an assurance scheme to be able to check the source of all the components that will be used by the fuel suppliers to produce the sustainable fuels,” said FIA head of powertrain Vincent Pereme.

From 2026, there will be two new power unit manufacturers as returnee Honda and newcomer Audi will join Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault, and Red Bull Powertrains – which will rebrand to Red Bull Ford Powertrains.

“The new sustainably fuelled hybrid power unit presents a huge opportunity for the global automotive industry, the drop-in fuel has the potential to be used by cars around the world and dramatically cut emissions,” said F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali in the FIA’s release on June 6, 2024.

Lighter and ‘nimbler’ cars

Stronger protection for drivers