The next generation of Formula 1 power units is forcing drivers to confront a very different kind of workload, one defined less by flat-out sprints and more by brutal downshifting patterns and relentless lift-and-coast management. As teams retool around a far larger electrical share and tighter energy limits, the people in the cockpit are already warning that the 2026 cars could feel like fuel-saving endurance machines disguised as grand prix racers. Their early feedback paints a picture of drivers juggling complex engine maps, battery states and brake temperatures while still trying to race wheel to wheel.
At the heart of those concerns is how aggressively drivers will have to manipulate the car just to keep the new power units in their sweet spot. Heavy engine braking, rapid-fire downshifts and long periods off-throttle are set to become routine, not occasional, tools. The question I keep hearing from engineers and drivers alike is not whether they can cope with that extra complexity, but whether the spectacle will survive if the fastest way to drive is to constantly back off.
The 2026 power unit: more electric, more fragile on throttle
The starting point for the drivers’ anxiety is the architecture of the new power unit, which keeps a 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid but dramatically shifts the balance between combustion and electric power. From 2026 the internal combustion engine and battery will be required to deliver a roughly equal share of output, with the split between petrol and electric locked into regulations that were signed off with a target of around 50% from each source. Official guidance stresses that, while the core is still a 1.6-litre V6, the philosophy is very different, with the combustion engine effectively detuned so the electric motor can carry far more of the acceleration load than it does today, as outlined in the series’ own explanation that begins with the phrase While the. That shift is compounded by the removal of the MGU-H, the exhaust-driven generator that currently smooths out turbo lag and feeds extra energy into the battery.
Regulators have been explicit that deleting the MGU-H does not mean less electrification, and in fact the opposite is true, with the new units expected to rely on electrical energy far more heavily both under braking and on throttle. Technical outlines talk about a bore of 80 m for the V6, a maximum boost pressure of 4.8 bar and a maximum engine speed of 15,000 per minute, figures that underline how tightly controlled the combustion side will be. Manufacturers such as the works operations at Red Bull and Mercedes are already deep into simulations that show how sensitive lap time will be to state-of-charge and deployment strategy, which is why drivers are being prepared for a future in which they must constantly think about energy rather than simply chasing the next apex.
Why drivers fear a “lift-and-coast” era
Those simulations are feeding directly into the drivers’ warnings that the new cars could be dominated by lift-and-coast techniques rather than flat-out racing. Engineers expect that, with the electrical system doing so much work and fuel flow tightly limited, there will be regular phases of the lap where the fastest way to drive is to lift off the throttle early and let the car roll before braking, a technique already familiar from fuel-critical races but likely to become a permanent feature. Official guidance on the 2026 package even concedes that teams will likely ask drivers to lift and coast so they can recover energy and then use it for longer acceleration periods at the end of straights, a scenario laid out in detail in Jan’s overview of the rules. That is a very different rhythm from the current generation, where drivers are encouraged to brake as late as possible and use the full grip of the tyres and downforce.
There is already a real-world case study of how intrusive this can feel from the cockpit. Ferrari’s recent struggles with lift and coast, described in technical analysis that explicitly labels it a Lift and coast problem, show how lifting early to save fuel or cool the car can be notoriously tough on brake temperatures and can limit how much freedom a driver has to attack. Drivers who have spoken privately about the 2026 rules say they fear that kind of compromise becoming the default, with long off-throttle phases not just to save fuel but to recharge the battery and protect the power unit. In that world, the art of driving fast becomes the art of driving fast enough while constantly backing off, a subtle but profound change in what it means to race in Formula 1.
Downshifting, engine braking and the new driving style
Alongside lift and coast, drivers are bracing for far more aggressive downshifting patterns and engine braking to feed energy back into the battery. With the MGU-H gone and the MGU-K doing more of the heavy lifting, the braking phase will become the primary window to harvest energy, which in turn encourages teams to use shorter gears and stronger engine braking maps so the car decelerates harder through the drivetrain. Technical briefings on the new power units, including the question that begins with the word Does, make clear that energy will be harvested not only under braking but also on throttle, which means drivers will feel the power unit pushing back at them in ways that are unfamiliar today. That is why some engineers are already talking about “regeneration corners” where the priority is not lap time through the apex but how much charge can be banked for the next straight.
From the cockpit, that will translate into a more complex dance on the steering wheel, with drivers flicking through engine modes and brake-by-wire settings to match each phase of the lap. Teams like What McLaren describe as a rethink of the power unit after 11 seasons with essentially the same architecture, and that rethink puts a premium on how precisely the driver can manage energy flows. I expect that will reward the most technically minded drivers, the ones who can treat the car like a rolling computer, but it also risks turning the act of braking into a software exercise rather than a pure test of bravery and feel.
Overtake Mode, X/Y modes and the end of DRS
Overlaying all of this is a fundamental change in how drivers will attack and defend in wheel-to-wheel fights. From 2026 the familiar DRS flap will disappear, replaced by an electronically controlled Overtake Mode that opens up extra electrical deployment for a limited time each lap. Official outlines explain that DRS will be replaced by DRS alternatives, with Overtake Mode giving a driver extra power on the straights instead of a movable rear wing. Separate technical notes on overtaking mode and energy management describe how this will work in practice, with a dedicated overtaking mode that temporarily shifts the power balance and then forces the driver to spend the next corners recharging the battery, a concept laid out in detail in the Overtaking mode explainer.
On top of that, the 2026 chassis will introduce what insiders describe as X and Y modes that drivers can activate to change the car’s aerodynamic and energy profile, a concept that has already prompted disagreement between drivers and Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali. Some drivers have suggested privately that this risks turning overtaking into a video game style exchange of boost modes rather than a contest of braking points and racecraft. Others see opportunity, arguing that the smartest drivers will be able to bait rivals into using their Overtake Mode at the wrong time and then counter-attack when their battery is depleted. Either way, it is clear that the simple act of pulling out of the slipstream and passing will be inseparable from the same energy management that already dominates the rest of the lap.
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