Some things in Formula 1 never change, not even when a new set of regulations is introduced. Carlos Sainz’s ninth-place finish in the Chinese Grand Prix proves it, thanks to a curious and intelligent detail: he used the new overtake mode not to attack the car ahead, but to defend himself from the driver behind. It may sound paradoxical—almost contradictory given its name—but it is precisely in situations like these that a driver’s composure and clarity shine through in critical moments.
Even in the battle between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, at one stage the two Ferrari drivers slowed down before the activation line for overtake mode in order to maximize energy deployment and power for attacking each other. In the case of the Spanish Williams driver, however, the scenario was completely different.
With an overweight car, Sainz knew very well that defending against Franco Colapinto’s Alpine would not be easy. However, an opportunity arose just a few laps from the end, when George Russell found himself in a position where he had to lap both the Spaniard and the Argentine driver.
As the British driver overtook Colapinto on the long straight leading into Turn 14, Carlos Sainz glanced in his mirrors and chose to lift off the throttle on corner exit, even at the cost of losing a few meters. It was a deliberate decision with a clear objective: just before the final corner lies the detection line that determines whether a driver is allowed to activate overtake mode, provided they are within one second of the car ahead.
From this perspective, somewhat paradoxically, overtake mode ends up functioning in a way that is very similar to the old DRS system. Even when being lapped, if at the detection point a driver is within one second of the car that has just overtaken them, they are still entitled to activate overtake mode and gain a performance advantage.
Therefore, since drivers can activate overtake mode even when being lapped, Carlos Sainz made sure to do so at the most favorable moment, securing the opportunity to use additional energy and power, thus making it more difficult for Franco Colapinto to close the gap.
“Given that it was for ninth position, I knew that if he had attacked me, I wouldn’t have done anything too silly, considering that I could still bring home a top-10 finish. For the team, one point is still a good result, so I wouldn’t have been overly aggressive,” explained the Spaniard.
In doing so, Sainz ensured he could recover an extra 0.5 MJ of energy. While that may seem like a small amount, in defensive situations it makes a real difference, as it allows for higher top speeds or a stronger corner exit thanks to improved acceleration in the initial phase of traction.
“But then I saw the blue flags and I told myself: if I play this right, I can give him dirty air, then take my overtake mode, give him dirty air again, overtake mode, and so on. So, more than a DRS train, it was an overtake mode train,” Carlos Sainz explained.
The tactic worked and delivered Williams its first points of the season—an unexpected result considering the current performance level of the car, which remains significantly overweight compared to its rivals. Admittedly, several retirements played a role, including that of Max Verstappen, who was running in fifth place before being forced to stop due to a cooling issue, as well as both McLaren cars.
Nevertheless, it represents a valuable boost in morale, encouraging the team to keep pushing and to progressively reduce the car’s weight over the coming months. In fact, team principal James Vowles has confirmed that the weight-reduction program has now been extended to around six races compared to the original plan.
“In the end, for me it’s still only a ninth place, which is not what I want. Even if they are good points for me and for the team, I really hope they serve as motivation, as a push for everyone back at the factory to keep pushing,” added the Spaniard.
“It’s not the start of the season we wanted, it’s not what we expected from this car, so I think this result should help push hard at the factory and start bringing performance. Because the reality is that today, even when fighting with midfield cars, I felt like I had no chance. It’s frustrating, but at the same time it’s a good result that we take home, and hopefully it helps everyone.”
The “Overtake mode train” might therefore become a new defensive standard in the 2026 era. As teams head to Japan, engineers across the paddock will undoubtedly be studying Sainz’s data to see how they, too, can turn a blue-flag disadvantage into a tactical shield.
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