Active aerodynamics: a third mode arrives for 2026

The 2026 technical regulations continue to be expanded just a few weeks after the new single-seaters hit the track. The last meeting of the World Motorsport Council approved a new way of activating active aerodynamics, providing for a partial opening of the mobile wings. The addition arises from the need to find a compromise between the needs of safety and reduction of consumption in the wet, although the innovation may also find application in some dry scenarios. The three modes The new active aerodynamics will be profoundly different from the previous DRS, both in terms of technical characteristics and functionality. The system, in fact, will control two profiles of the rear wing, compared to the single mobile flap of the old single-seaters, and as many appendages on the front wing. In total, it is estimated that the effectiveness will be three times higher compared to the old Drag Reduction System, from which it will also differ in terms of activation rules. Following the changes ratified by the latest World Motorsport Council, the 2026 technical regulation now provides three usage scenarios. The first is the straight-line mode, renamed as X-Mode, which consists of completely opening the two profiles on both ailerons. This is contrasted with the curved mode or Z-mode, with the wings closed to release maximum aerodynamic load. The third function, however, is partial activation, with only the front opening, foreseen for very specific contexts. Partial opening The introduction of an intermediate mode derives from the fact that in 2026 active aerodynamics will no longer be an aid tool for overtaking, like the old DRS, but an energy management device. In fact, pilots will always be able to activate it in predefined areas, regardless of whether they are attackers, defenders or traveling alone. For some time, however, we had been wondering what to do in the wet. Forbidding the opening of the wings in the rain would have seemed like an obvious decision, but this would have increased straight-line resistance and therefore energy consumption, quickly draining the battery charge. Added to all this was the problem that the excess aerodynamic load released with the wings closed would have compressed the cars to the ground, quickly wearing out the plank board under the bottom. For this reason, in the end it was agreed that the race direction will be able to enable partial activation, i.e. the opening of only the front, in wet track conditions. Should this scenario occur during a qualifying round, such as Q1, Q2 or Q3, the requirement for the use of active aerodynamics must remain the same until the end of the qualifying round. However, the regulation does not exclude that even in the dry there may be areas in which it will be possible to use the mobile wings only in partial mode, for example on stretches with slight curvatures that would be dangerous to tackle with both wings wide open. It is likely that the FIA ​​will initially choose the path of caution, and then adjust as it becomes familiar with the new single-seaters.