Only a few days remain before the first closed-door test session, scheduled to take place from January 26 to 30 on the Barcelona circuit. The most recent regulatory eras have proved somewhat disappointing when it comes to spectacle. The FIA, especially with the 2022 regulations, placed all its focus on performance convergence, convinced that this approach would guarantee more on-track battles.
The effects, however, were almost the complete opposite. Qualifying sessions became extremely exciting, but races and Sprint events were often fairly static in terms of position changes. The 2026 regulations, though, appear capable of delivering a major shift. According to two leading technical figures from Mercedes and Aston Martin, overtaking mode will play a crucial role during Grands Prix. Qualifying may not be as thrilling as it was in 2024 and 2025, but races are expected to be truly “unpredictable”.
Overtaking mode as a revolution that will make races “unpredictable”
This is the view of Mercedes Deputy Technical Director Simone Resta, formerly of Sauber and Ferrari. Overtaking mode will make everything “very different. Especially in the race rather than in qualifying. We are all used to a certain format. DRS made overtaking easier and was used in specific zones with clearly defined gaps. From 2026 it will disappear. Drivers will always be able to use movable wings both at the front and at the rear, and these can be activated in sync in different sections of the circuit. There will be an energy surplus that will help facilitate overtaking. Everything will be different (a revolutionary change, ed.) and potentially much more unpredictable. Drivers will be able to use that energy as they wish,” as reported by the FIA in its document explaining all the 2026 innovations.
This is precisely the element that represents the truly revolutionary aspect of Formula 1. Drivers will have access to additional electrical energy worth +0.5 MJ. This energy can be used both in defence and attack modes when cars are within a one-second gap at the activation points. The car ahead will be able to benefit from this energy surplus up to 290 km/h, while the following car will enjoy the increase up to 337 km/h.
For this very reason, Simone Resta strongly believes in the unpredictability of Grands Prix. And he is not alone. Aston Martin Sporting Director Andy Stevenson has also shared this view. “We have worked hard to make the races much closer. We believe in it. We started from having extremely tight starting grids, but we felt we had to improve the races to make Formula 1 even more exciting. When I think about the technologies we will have at our disposal… I can’t wait,” Stevenson concluded, again according to the FIA document.
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