The car
How a modern F1 car works under the 2026 regulations: power unit, aerodynamics, fuel, weight and safety.
- How an F1 car worksA tour of a 2026 Formula 1 car: the chassis, the hybrid power unit, the moving wings, the floor, tyres and brakes, and how they work together.
- The power unitF1's 2026 engine is a 1.6-litre turbo V6 paired with a 350 kW electric motor, with roughly half the car's power coming from each.
- Energy recovery and the batteryHow 2026 F1 cars collect electrical energy under braking and at full throttle, why the battery runs out, and what superclipping and lift and coast mean.
- Active aerodynamicsSince 2026, the front and rear wings on every F1 car switch between Corner Mode for downforce and Straight Mode for low drag, in zones set by the FIA.
- Overtake mode and boostOvertake mode gives a driver within one second of the car ahead extra electrical energy for the next lap. Boost lets any driver spend stored energy whenever they like.
- What happened to DRS?DRS, the opening rear wing that helped chasing cars overtake from 2011 to 2025, was replaced in 2026 by active aerodynamics and overtake mode.
- Downforce and aerodynamicsHow wings, the floor and the diffuser push an F1 car into the track, why that costs speed on the straights, and how the 2026 cars differ from the ground-effect era.
- FuelSince 2026, F1 cars run on 100% sustainable fuel, limited by how much energy the engine can use per hour. There's no refuelling during a race.
- Weight and dimensionsA 2026 F1 car weighs at least 768 kg with its driver, has a wheelbase of up to 3.4 m and is up to 1.9 m wide, smaller and lighter than the cars it replaced.
- Safety features on the carThe halo, the survival cell, crash tests, wheel tethers and warning lights that protect F1 drivers, including the safety changes made for 2026.
- The steering wheelWhat all the buttons, dials and paddles on an F1 steering wheel do, from gear changes and brake balance to boost, overtake mode and the radio.
- Scrutineering and technical checksHow the FIA checks that every F1 car is legal, from inspections before the weekend to weighing, plank wear and fuel samples after the race.