Why is F1 dropping DRS from the regulations in 2026?

FIA, Formula 1's governing body, has taken the wraps off the 2026 race car concept. The new regulations will replace one of the iconic systems that has helped shape the last decade of racing.

Introduced in 2011, a Drag Reduction System, or DRS, is essentially a driver-adjustable rear-wing system used to reduce the drag generated by the race car. This system allows the driver to gain more top speed to aid an overtaking maneuver. To promote fair play and ensure safety, DRS can only be enabled when the pursuing car is within one second when entering pre-determined zones on the race track.

When the system is activated, an adjustable flap on the rear wing opens, thereby allowing the driver to gain around 12 km/h in top speed. This crucial boost in speed can help the pursuing driver close the gap between the car ahead quite significantly. This system also aids in overtaking. However, the effectiveness of DRS varies from track to track and car to car. The only drawbacks of DRS were increased tire wear and instability brought on by strong tailwind gusts.

With the introduction of the 'Active Aerodynamics' system in 2026, DRS will be rendered useless. The new active front and rear wings will operate in two modes: a standard ‘Z-mode’ to generate higher downforce for the majority of the laps and a low-drag 'X-mode' to reduce downforce on straights and provide better top speed. However, unlike DRS, the new system will work regardless of the distance between the race cars.

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Motor Generator Unit - Kinetic (MGU-K) will work in tandem with the 'Active Aerodynamics' system to aid overtaking

While the 2026 'Active Aerodynamics' system will be helpful for the defending car on straights, a manual override function, the Motor Generator Unit- Kinetic (MGU-K), will help the pursuing driver perform an overtaking maneuver.

Similar to DRS, drivers will get a short burst of electric power from the battery when within one second of the car ahead. During normal conditions, the output from MGU-K will taper off when the car reaches 340 km/h. However, with the override function, the driver will be able to manually deploy a maximum power of 350kW to reach a top speed of about 355 km/h.

Working in tandem with the Active Aerodynamics system, the manual override function will help the chasing car close the gap with the car in front.

“To help the overtaking, since both cars will have rear wing open and front wing flap open, we are going to allow the car behind to deploy more electrical energy for a given portion of time during that lap," explained FIA's single-seater technical director Jan Monchaux at the press conference.

This move is probably intended to increase the level of interest in racing for both fans and drivers.