How will the “Override” boost mode of the F1 2026 regulations work?
The FIA has introduced a new regulation in F1 for the 2026 season, marking the end of an era, with the disappearance of the DRS, used since 2011. Instead, a new system called Manual Override Mode will be introduced to improve overtaking opportunities. But then, how does it work?
Formula 1 is gearing up to revolutionize the dynamics of its races with a new regulation for 2026. By ending the drag reduction system (DRS) that has dominated circuits since 2011, the FIA is introducing the Manual Override Mode (MOM), a new overtaking aid.
What is the Manual Override Mode?
The MOM is a power boost system, added to the regulations in order to encourage overtaking on the track. It will allow drivers to access the maximum power of their MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic) when they are less than one second behind the car ahead. This will be made possible through redesigned power units, offering nearly 300% additional battery power.
The energy deployment will be optimized, gradually decreasing after 290 km/h, to reach zero once 355 km/h is reached. This means that a driver in MOM mode will continue to benefit from an additional 350 kW of energy up to 337 km/h, giving him a significant advantage to catch up with and overtake his competitors.
A logic similar to the DRS.
The technical director of single-seaters at the FIA, Jan Monchaux, detailed the operation of the MOM: « If you are at a certain distance, before the end of a lap, compared to the car in front of you, then for the next lap, you will have the possibility to use more electrical power than your opponent. »
Monchaux added that this new electric energy boost replaces the opening of the rear wing, allowing the following car to have an additional boost to try to overtake: « Currently, with the DRS, you are behind a car, within one second, which ticks a box and allows you to open your DRS on the straight. This will no longer be the case. However, the logic will remain the same: I am close enough to another car, I am given an additional amount of energy for this lap, which I can deploy as I wish.
Active aerodynamics and new modes
In addition to DRS, the 2026 single-seaters will benefit from more elaborate active aerodynamics, with moving elements on the front and rear wings. This will introduce two new modes: Mode Z for maximum aerodynamic downforce and Mode X for minimal drag.
These modes will be activated by the pilot, but only in specific areas considered safe, in order to use reduced support levels.
These changes are part of a desire to improve the racing experience for drivers and spectators, by increasing overtaking opportunities while ensuring better safety on the circuit.
We will have to wait until the beginning of the 2026 championship to see the impact of this new regulation.
