Formula 1 2026: Goodbye DRS, hello to electric power boost

From next year, drivers will have to manage their Formula 1 cars’ systems more closely than ever, with a greater reliance on aerodynamic and electrical technology. After a season-long title battle that ended with Lando Norris taking his first championship, here is what to expect in 2026.

The biggest regulation changes in years will make cars shorter, narrower and lighter, with movable active aerodynamics. X-mode is used for straight-line speed and Z-mode for cornering. The new regulations also increase the importance of electric hybrid power.

The FIA’s target was for electrical power to account for half of total output alongside the traditional V6 turbo engine. In place of DRS, drivers will deploy additional electrical power at key moments. That will make driving more strategic but could also lead to more lifting and coasting on straights to allow the electrical systems to harvest energy.

The FIA says the rules will emphasise driver skill, but reviews have been mixed from those who have tried early 2026 designs in Formula 1 team simulators.

Smaller, more agile cars could improve overtaking, but the fastest and slowest cars may be up to four seconds per lap apart in pace, according to tyre supplier Pirelli. In F1 terms, that is a huge gap. Teams are also expecting more engine failures as they push reliability and performance to the limit.

Could 2026 be the year Lewis Hamilton finds his form again at Ferrari and chases an eighth title? Maybe not.

Even though he never connected with the 2022 to 2025 cars, Hamilton told the BBC after last month’s Las Vegas Grand Prix that he was “not looking forward” to 2026, yet another disappointment since joining Ferrari.

Mercedes has designed some of F1’s most dominant engines in the past, but its high-profile zero-pod aerodynamic concept proved a failure when the current regulation cycle began in 2022. If Mercedes gets both chassis and engine right this time, George Russell could be a title contender after taking two wins in 2025. Mercedes also supplies engines to McLaren and Alpine.

Aston Martin is another team to watch. Its first car designed under Adrian Newey’s leadership and powered by Honda aims to make Fernando Alonso a race winner for the first time in 13 years. Williams could also take a step forward after abandoning its 2025 development early to focus on 2026.

Next year’s grid expands to 22 cars for the first time since 2016 as Cadillac joins as the 11th team with support from General Motors.

The new team will field two of the most experienced drivers on the grid, with Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez returning. Together, they have 16 wins and 527 starts.

Cadillac has reportedly drawn lessons from NASA space programmes, and its British team boss describes himself as an “inverse Ted Lasso” in referring to the cultural adjustment of working in United States motorsport.

Arvid Lindblad, aged 18, will be the only rookie in 2026 with Racing Bulls. With eight of the ten existing teams retaining their line-ups, the only other driver change is Isack Hadjar’s promotion to Red Bull to partner Max Verstappen. Yuki Tsunoda moves into a reserve role.

The Madring is the only new circuit on the 2026 calendar. Madrid’s street circuit becomes the Spanish Grand Prix venue, while Barcelona remains as Spain hosts two races for the first time since 2012.

That means no place on the Formula 1 calendar for Italy’s second race, the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, which has appeared five times since 2020.

Even though the season is over, there is one more day of running left in 2025. Tuesday features a single post-season test in Abu Dhabi, with teams using modified mule cars for initial 2026 tyre evaluations, alongside the traditional young driver running.

After the red-carpet show that opened the 2025 campaign in London, the start of the 2026 season will be much quieter.

The new cars will run for the first time at a private test in Spain starting on 26 January Two open pre-season tests follow in Bahrain in February before the Australian Grand Prix opens the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship season in Melbourne on 8 March.