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Formula 1 has revealed the new vocabulary that will be used to explain the technical complexities of its upcoming 2026 rulebook.

The championship is introducing what is considered the largest rules overhaul in its illustrious history starting in 2026, featuring fresh chassis and power unit regulations and the mandatory use of fully sustainable fuels.

The new power units, which retain the 1.6-litre V6 configuration, boast a greatly enhanced electrical capacity, requiring major innovations in the cars' aerodynamics.

Over a race distance, drivers will carefully oversee battery power – sometimes even flying laps – to achieve the optimal performance.

Extensive fan consultation were carried out with a mix of viewers, including new, casual and core fans, to understand which terms would improve understanding of the central aspects of the 2026 changes.

The key objective was to make a set of intricate technical aspects of the competition as easy to grasp as possible for the global fanbase.

Consequently, initial designations for some systems – such as "x-mode and z-mode" for the adjustable aero – have been discarded in preference for straightforward terms that succinctly convey the real-world effect of the system.

Key Technical Innovations

Regulators explain that drivers will have increased agency to choose strategies regarding power usage, harvesting, and conservation.

The upcoming changes introduce a range of settings that will be visually displayed on television graphics to improve the viewers' comprehension of the on-track action.

• Passing Mode: This supersedes the present overtaking aid. It provides a burst of extra electrical energy deployable when a competitor is less than a second the car ahead to assist with an overtaking maneuver.
• Power Mode: This is a driver-operated power boost from the ERS that can be deployed for attack or defence. It provides the driver full engine and battery energy at the activation of a control.

Both of these crucial modes will have to be managed carefully, as the available electrical charge is capped.

• Adjustable Aero: Both the car's wings move automatically – spreading on the high-speed sections for reduced drag and increased velocity, and sealing in the turns for peak grip.
• Battery Recharge: Cars can harvest energy with energy harvested under braking, or during coasting at the conclusion of a straight or in corners where only reduced throttle is applied.

What's Changing on the Cars?

The vehicles for the new era will be more compact and lighter than this year, with a distance between axles cut by 200mm to 3,400mm, car width narrowed by 100mm – down to 1,900mm – and the car weight lowered by 30kg.

Overall downforce is projected to decrease by approximately fifteen to thirty percent, although teams will inevitably claw this back as they refine their designs.

Aerodynamic drag has been reduced by 40%. The vehicles will employ moveable wing elements – front and rear wings will move on the straights to cut resistance and enhance velocity and return into place for maximum cornering performance.

Wheels will keep the current rim size, but the rubber compounds will be slimmer, by 25 millimetres on the front axle and 30mm at the rear.

Power Unit Revolution

The 2026 engines will have an near-equal balance in horsepower generated by the internal combustion engine and the ERS, up from about 20% battery contribution under present rules.

The hybrid system is streamlined through the elimination of the MGU-H, the complicated and costly component that generated electricity from the turbo.

Cars will be obliged to compete on fully sustainable fuel, created from organic sources or synthetic industrial processes.