Is DRS gone in F1 for 2026?
Yes. For 2026 the moveable rear-wing DRS is replaced by full active aerodynamics: both the front and rear wings switch between a low-drag 'Straight Mode' and a high-downforce 'Corner Mode' (the development names were X-mode and Z-mode). A separate electric 'Override' boost gives a chasing driver extra power to attack, taking over DRS's overtaking role.
DRS as we knew it is gone
The drag reduction system, the single moveable rear-wing flap used since 2011, is dropped for the 2026 regulations and replaced by active aerodynamics in which both the front and rear wings move.[1] Instead of one driver-operated flap, the wings now change shape together between two configurations across the lap.[2]
Active aero: Straight Mode and Corner Mode
The two configurations were labelled X-mode and Z-mode during development, and the FIA later renamed them for the public.[3] Straight Mode is the low-drag setting that opens the wings to cut drag and raise top speed on the straights, while Corner Mode is the high-downforce setting that restores grip for the corners.[1] Unlike DRS, Straight Mode is not gated by running within a second of another car; drivers can use it at defined points on long enough straights.[1]
The Override boost
The overtaking aid is now electrical rather than aerodynamic. When a chasing driver is within one second of the car ahead at a detection point, on the next lap they unlock an "Override" boost, extra electrical deployment of up to 350 kW with around 0.5 MJ of additional energy that the leading car does not get, helping the chaser close and pass.[4] The official term is Override, sometimes shown as Overtake; its development name was Manual Override Mode.[3]
Why F1 made the change
The 2026 cars are smaller and lighter, with the minimum weight dropping to 768 kg, and they run a power unit split roughly 50/50 between combustion and electrical power on fully sustainable fuel, so active aero plus the Override boost is the package meant to keep overtaking alive without the old DRS flap.[2]
:::analysis For fans the question shifts from "is he in the DRS zone?" to "has he got Override?". The low-drag mode now helps everyone on the straights, so the fight for a pass leans on how each driver banks and spends electrical energy. That should make the deployment chess match more visible than the old one-button DRS ever was.
:::
Related reading
- [1]How F1's new active aero will work in 2026 (Motorsport.com) (motorsport). Accessed 2026-06-19.
- [2]The beginner's guide to the 2026 F1 regulations (Formula1.com) (formula1). Accessed 2026-06-19.
- [3]FIA unveils the new 2026 terminology (Motorsport.com) (motorsport). Accessed 2026-06-19.
- [4]Manual Override Mode: F1's new overtaking aid explained (Crash.net) (crash). Accessed 2026-06-19.