The tide of changes coming to Formula 1 for 2026 has been met with a mixed reception with concerns over car weight, lack of corner downforce and straightline speeds that one driver has called “crazy”. But what caught my eye was the plan to introduce active aerodynamics, involving moveable front and rear wings, which unlike the outgoing DRS will be activated at certain points of the circuit regardless of position or gap to the car ahead.
But it isn’t a like-for-like DRS replacement; the active aero’s primary function will be for improved efficiency from low drag in the straights and high downforce in the corners to ultimately save fuel, instead of as an overtaking assist. As everyone will switch from the so-called high downforce Z-mode for cornering to the low-drag X-mode on the straights at the same points, there can be no advantages from tactical deployment.
