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F1 has revealed the new vocabulary that will be used to reference the advanced features of its revolutionary 2026 rulebook.

The racing series is implementing what is considered the biggest rules overhaul in its long history starting in 2026, featuring new chassis and engine rules and the compulsory introduction of 100% sustainable fuels.

The revised engines, which keep the hybrid V6 layout, boast a substantially higher energy storage, driving key advancements in the aero packages.

Throughout races, competitors will strategically manage electrical energy – sometimes even qualifying laps – to extract the optimal result.

Wide-ranging research were carried out with a wide range of fans, including new, casual and core fans, to understand which terms would improve understanding of the key features of the 2026 changes.

The key objective was to render a series of complex new areas of the racing as straightforward as possible for the global fanbase.

Consequently, previous placeholder terms for specific components – such as "alphabetical mode names" for the active aerodynamics – have been discarded in preference for intuitive labels that directly explain the real-world effect of the innovation.

Key Technical Innovations

Regulators explain that racers will have increased agency to choose strategies regarding battery management, regeneration, and conservation.

The upcoming changes feature a range of settings that will be visually displayed on television graphics to aid the fans' insight of the race battle.

• Attack Mode: This takes over from the current DRS. It provides a surge of additional ERS power deployable when a competitor is within one second the car ahead to facilitate an overtaking maneuver.
• Boost Mode: This is a on-demand battery discharge from the hybrid system that can be utilized during overtaking or defending. It grants the pilot maximum power at the click of a switch.

Both of these crucial modes will have to be used with calculation, as the total energy is capped.

• Active Aero: Both the car's wings adjust their angles – opening on the high-speed sections for low aerodynamic resistance and top speed, and angling down in the bends for maximum downforce.
• Energy Harvesting: Cars can recharge the energy store with energy harvested under braking, or during partial power application at the straight's end or in certain corners where only reduced throttle is applied.

Car Design Evolution

The next-generation machines will be smaller and lighter than this year, with a distance between axles reduced by 200mm to 3,400mm, car width narrowed by 100mm – down to 1,900mm – and the minimum weight lowered by 30kg.

Total aerodynamic grip is expected to drop by approximately fifteen to thirty percent, although teams will inevitably claw this back as they refine their designs.

Air resistance has been reduced by 40%. The vehicles will feature active aerodynamics – front and rear wings will adjust on the straight sections to reduce drag and enhance velocity and revert into place for maximum cornering performance.

Pirelli tyres will keep 18-inch rims, but the tyres themselves will be slimmer, by 25mm at the front and 30 millimetres on the rear axle.

Power Unit Revolution

The new power units will have an roughly half-and-half distribution in horsepower generated by the internal combustion engine and the electrical system, a rise from about one-fifth electric power in the current formula.

The energy recovery system is made less complex through the elimination of the MGU-H, the intricate and expensive device that recovered energy from the exhaust turbo.

All vehicles will be mandated to operate on carbon-neutral fuel, created from plant-based materials or synthetic production methods.