News: 0180418275

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Formula 1 is Deploying New Jargon for 2026 (arstechnica.com)

(Thursday December 18, 2025 @05:40PM (msmash) from the confusion-mode-ahead dept.)


Formula 1's 2026 technical regulations bring not only smaller and lighter cars [1]but an entirely new vocabulary that fans and commentators will need to learn before the season opens in Australia in March. The drag reduction system that has been part of F1 racing since 2011 is gone, replaced by a suite of modes governing how the new active front and rear wings behave and how the hybrid powertrain delivers power. Straight Mode lowers both the front and rear wings to cut drag on designated straights, and unlike the outgoing DRS system any driver can activate it regardless of their proximity to other cars. The story adds:

> And there's corner mode, where the wings are in their raised position, generating downforce and making the cars corner faster. Those names are better than X-mode and Z-mode, which is what they were being called last year.

>

> [...] Instead of using DRS as an overtaking aid, the hybrid power units will now fulfill that role. Overtake mode, which can be used if a driver is within a second of a car ahead, gives them an extra 0.5 MJ of energy and up to 350 kW from the electric motor up to 337 km/h -- without the Overtake mode, the MGU-K tapers off above 290 km/h. There's also a second Boost mode, which drivers can use to attack or defend a position, that gives a short burst of maximum power.



[1] https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/12/formula-1-is-deploying-new-jargon-for-2026/



Colors matter. (Score:2)

by geekmux ( 1040042 )

> sooo F1 is now mario kart? this sounds so dumb.. maybe its still fun to watch? but reading it on paper it sounds like you should just give them all the same car and let them race

(Engineer) "Alright, activate corner mode."

(Driver) "Blue button. Got it."

(Engineer) "Clear for boost mode."

(Driver) "Green button. Sending."

Gut feeling is when you're forced to react that quickly on a race track to F1 political vernacular, you keep shit real simple.

Re: (Score:2)

by Waffle Iron ( 339739 )

> sooo F1 is now mario kart?

Yes. Each team gets exactly three bananas to drop in "banana mode" for each race. However, banana mode can only be activated if the car is at least 2.17 seconds ahead of the nearest trailing car, unless that trailing car is outside an 18 degree cone whose vertex is at the nose of the lead car. Banana mode cannot be used if a driver has more than 16.5 MJ of energy in the liquid fuel tank, or less than 3.27 MJ of energy in the hybrid battery, nor can it be used if there are less than 37.3km of travel on the c

Re: (Score:1)

by Anonymous Coward

Cars are work! Computers are woke! Everything is woke! And I don't know what woke means so I just use it as a meaningless synonym for "bad"!

Why not cut this crap out. (Score:2)

by Finallyjoined!!! ( 1158431 )

And just let them race.

This is all done for attention deficient American viewers I reckon.

Re: (Score:2)

by nealric ( 3647765 )

Because "just let them race" results in a conga line with almost no passing. The problem is that modern open wheel cars are extremely aero dependent. If you don't have any sort of "push to pass" type feature like DRS or this new battery-boost feature, it becomes almost impossible to pass on most tracks even if you are the significantly faster car. Yes, you could just ban the aero, but then you'd be left with a series that is significantly slower than "feeder" series (or even non-open wheel series).

I'm ready

Re: (Score:2)

by Ogive17 ( 691899 )

Racing sucks when no one makes any passes. The cars had gotten so quick and large that passing became nearly impossible on many of the established tracks.

DRS was a way to give the trailing car a much better opportunity to overtake. Without it, may as well declare the winner after qualifying.

I always thought DRS was lame, basically a reward for being behind.... but something had to be done to help those cars get a chance to overtake.

Will this make drivers relevant again? (Score:3)

by RUs1729 ( 10049396 )

For the truth is that, for many years, 90% of the drivers in the grid will have no problems winning if driving the best car. The driver has become largely irrelevant in F1.

Celebrate Good Times (Score:2)

by divide overflow ( 599608 )

> Formula 1 is Deploying New Jargon for 2026

Yay! More jargon! Woohoo!

Water, taken in moderation cannot hurt anybody.
-- Mark Twain