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F1 has introduced the official vocabulary that will be used to reference the advanced features of its revolutionary 2026 technical rules.

The racing series is implementing what is considered the largest regulation change in its illustrious history for the 2026 campaign, featuring new chassis and engine rules and the mandatory use of 100% sustainable fuels.

The revised engines, which retain the 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid, boast a greatly enhanced energy storage, necessitating significant developments in the vehicles' aerodynamic design.

Throughout races, drivers will carefully oversee electrical energy – potentially on flying laps – to extract the optimal lap time.

Broad surveys were conducted with a mix of viewers, including long-time followers and newcomers, to understand which phrases would make things clearer of the main elements of the 2026 changes.

The primary aim was to make a series of complex features of the competition as accessible as possible for the widest audience.

Consequently, previous placeholder terms for certain devices – such as "modes labelled X and Z" for the adjustable aero – have been abandoned in favor of straightforward terms that clearly indicate the primary purpose of the technology.

What's the New Technology?

The FIA states that competitors will have greater control to choose strategies regarding power usage, energy recovery, and saving energy.

The upcoming changes feature a set of functions that will be clearly indicated on broadcast screens to aid the viewers' comprehension of the race battle.

• Attack Mode: This supersedes the current DRS. It provides a surge of additional ERS power accessible when a driver is within one second the leading car to facilitate an overtaking maneuver.
• Boost Mode: This is a on-demand power boost from the ERS that can be deployed for offensive or defensive moves. It grants the driver peak output at the activation of a control.

Both of these crucial modes will have to be used with calculation, as the available electrical charge is strictly limited.

• Adjustable Aero: Both the front and rear wings change configuration – flattening on the straights for reduced drag and higher speed, and closing in the corners for optimal cornering performance.
• Battery Recharge: Cars can replenish their battery with regenerative braking, or during throttle lift at the straight's end or in corners where only reduced throttle is required.

Car Design Evolution

The 2026 cars will be reduced in size and weight relative to current models, with a car length cut by 200mm to 3,400mm, overall width reduced by 100mm – down to 1,900mm – and the minimum weight decreased by 30kg.

Total aerodynamic grip is projected to decrease by approximately fifteen to thirty percent, although constructors will inevitably claw this back as they develop their cars.

Aerodynamic drag has been reduced by 40%. The cars will utilize active aerodynamics – front and rear wings will move on the straights to reduce drag and increase straightline speed and click back into place for maximum cornering performance.

Wheels will retain 18-inch rims, but the actual tyres will be slimmer, by a quarter-centimetre on the front and three centimetres on the rear.

What's Changing in the Engines?

The new power units will have an roughly half-and-half distribution in power produced by the petrol engine and the ERS, a rise from about 20% electrical in the current formula.

The ERS setup is made less complex through the elimination of the Motor Generator Unit – Heat, the sophisticated and pricey unit that recovered energy from the turbo.

Cars will be mandated to operate on 100% sustainable fuel, created from biomass or synthetic production methods.