What DRS was
DRS stands for drag reduction system. With a button, the driver opened part of the rear wing. The car cut through the air more easily and gained speed on the straight.
There was one condition: it could only be used in marked zones and when within one second of the car ahead. That is why it was, above all, an overtaking aid.
What replaced it: active aero
Since 2026, cars move parts of both the front and rear wings. They have two positions:
- Corner mode
- Wings closed. They give maximum downforce to corner quickly. This is the default position.
- Straight mode
- Wings open. There is less drag and more speed on the straights.
The driver opens them in zones set for each circuit, and they close when braking or lifting off. The big difference from DRS is that everyone can use them every lap, however far they are from the car ahead. That means they are no longer an overtaking aid.
The new overtaking aid: overtake mode
The job of attacking moved to the electric side. If a driver crosses the detection line within one second of the car ahead, they get extra energy to use at high speed on the following lap.
The detection line is usually near the final corner and is painted yellow on the track. Unlike DRS, the driver chooses how to spend that energy: all at once or spread across the lap.
The mode is disabled at the start of the race and under the safety car. It is enabled again shortly after, and race control can turn it off for safety.
Boost: the button to attack or defend
Boost is something else. It is a button the driver can press anywhere on the lap to use stored energy, either to attack or to defend. It does not depend on the gap to anyone, but whatever is spent now is missing later.
Why DRS disappeared
DRS was a solution to a specific problem: following another car closely is hard. An F1 car stays glued to the track thanks to the air passing over its wings, and behind another car that air arrives disturbed. The car loses grip just when it needs it most.
DRS gave the car behind a push to make up for it. It worked, but it came at a cost: many overtakes were too easy, almost automatic in the middle of a straight. With the 2026 rules the FIA wanted a different system, more tied to strategy and energy management.
Smaller, lighter cars
Active aero is only part of the change. The 2026 cars are smaller, and that also affects how they move and how they follow one another.
| Measurement | Until 2025 | Since 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum weight | 800 kg | 768 kg |
| Maximum width | 2,000 mm | 1,900 mm |
| Maximum distance between axles | 3,600 mm | 3,400 mm |
The FIA set out to cut downforce by about 30% and drag by about 55%. These are design targets, not measurements. Less drag means the car uses less energy to go fast, which is key now that almost half of the power is electric. We cover this in the article on the engines.
How it works over a lap
For each circuit, the FIA sets the zones where the wings can be opened and tells the teams at least four weeks in advance. The start of each zone is marked by a sign at the side of the track. The driver can only open them when the car's system shows they are enabled.
On a typical lap, the driver exits a corner, reaches the zone, switches to straight mode and gains speed. On braking for the next corner, the wings return to their downforce position by themselves. This repeats several times a lap, in each zone.
In low grip the system changes. This is called partial opening: only the front wing moves, while the rear stays in corner mode. The zones can also be different. It keeps the car from running out of downforce when the track is slippery.
How to see it on TV
The screen usually shows an indicator when a driver has overtake mode available, along with their battery level. It is very useful for predicting what will happen on the next straight.
If a car gets within one second of another, watch what happens at the yellow line painted on the track. If it crosses within that margin, it will have extra energy on the following lap. If the car ahead has also saved battery, it can use Boost to defend. Many battles are decided this way, with two drivers measuring how much energy each has left.
Quick glossary
- Activation zone
- The part of the circuit where the wings can be opened. It has a sign at the start.
- Detection line
- The yellow line where it is measured whether a car is within one second of the car ahead.
- Downforce
- The force of the air that presses the car into the ground and lets it corner faster.
- Drag
- The force of the air that slows the car down. The lower it is, the higher the speed on the straight.
- Dirty air
- The disturbed air a car leaves behind it. It makes the car following lose grip.
- Low grip
- A condition declared by race control, for example in the rain, in which the wing rules change.
Summary
| System | Where it is used | Must you be close? |
|---|---|---|
| DRS, until 2025 | Marked zones | Yes, within 1 second |
| Active aero | Marked zones | No |
| Overtake mode | The lap after detection | Yes, within 1 second |
| Boost | The whole lap | No |
In low grip, such as in the rain, the wings only open partly and overtake mode is disabled.
Frequently asked questions
Who decides whether the system is enabled?
Race control, through the electronic system common to all the cars. The driver gets the alert in the car. If it does not appear, they cannot open the wings, even inside the zone.
Why do some people still say DRS?
Out of habit. It was used from 2011 to 2025, so the name stuck. It can also appear in old articles and video games.
Are there more overtakes now?
It depends a lot on the circuit and on how each driver manages energy. The big difference is the type of overtake: being close is no longer enough, you also need energy available at the right moment.
Can a driver open the wings anywhere?
No. Only in the set zones and when the system allows it. Doing so in a high-speed corner would be very dangerous, because the car would lose downforce.
What is the difference between overtake mode and Boost?
Overtake mode is earned by being close to the car ahead and gives extra energy. Boost is used whenever the driver wants, anywhere on the lap, but it spends energy already stored.