Explained: Active aero, overtake mode and the new F1 2026 terminology

Formula 1’s 2026 regulations represent one of the most significant resets in the championship’s history, introducing a new generation of cars with radically different aerodynamics and a power unit that splits output almost equally between the internal combustion engine and electrical systems.

To help fans, broadcasters and teams navigate the changes, the FIA published a formal vocabulary to describe how the new cars operate.

Active aerodynamics replace DRS, with the wings continuously adjusting between low-drag and high-downforce configurations depending on where the car is on track.

Drivers also have access to a push-to-pass energy boost, and the management of electrical power – when to harvest it, when to deploy it – has become one of the defining tactical variables of the season.

Below is a guide to the key terms you’ll hear throughout 2026.

Glossary: Key terms for 2026

Straight mode: The active aerodynamic setting in which the front and rear wings reduce drag to maximise top speed on straights. Replaces the function previously served by DRS, but operates automatically rather than being manually triggered by the driver.

Corner mode: The active aerodynamic setting in which the wings generate maximum downforce through corners. The car moves between Corner Mode and Straight Mode continuously throughout a lap.

Overtake mode: A driver-controlled energy deployment boost, available when running within one second of the car ahead. Delivers an additional 0.5 MJ of electrical energy on top of the car’s standard hybrid output.

Recharge: The process by which the battery is replenished during a lap, primarily under braking and partial throttle. Managing when and how much energy is harvested is central to both qualifying and race strategy in 2026.

Harvesting: Closely related to Recharge, harvesting refers specifically to the act of recovering kinetic energy through the MGU-K and converting it into stored electrical energy. Drivers and engineers may refer to harvesting phases when describing sections of the lap where the car is deliberately recovering energy rather than deploying it.

Deployment: The use of stored electrical energy to supplement power from the internal combustion engine. With electrical output now accounting for roughly half of total power, deployment decisions – when to use it, how much to release, and over which part of the circuit – have become one of the key tactical variables in 2026.

Clipping/Superclipping: Clipping occurs when a driver exhausts their available electrical deployment and the car reverts to ICE power only, typically resulting in a noticeable drop in performance. Superclipping refers to a more severe or prolonged version of the same phenomenon. Both are most likely to occur at power-sensitive circuits or in the closing stages of a stint when the battery is heavily depleted.

Lift-and-coast: A technique in which the driver lifts off the throttle and coasts before the braking zone, rather than braking at the latest possible point. Used to manage energy and tyre load, it has become more prominent in 2026 as teams balance harvesting needs against laptime.