For thirteen seasons, overtaking in Formula 1 came with a soundtrack: “DRS enabled”, a rear wing flipping open, a car surging past on the straight. In 2026 that disappeared. The Drag Reduction System was retired and replaced by something invisible from the grandstand — a burst of electrical energy the chasing driver can unleash at the push of a button. It is called manual override mode in the regulations and Overtake Mode by everyone else, and it has changed racing in ways the sport is still digesting.
Why DRS had to go
DRS worked by giving the chasing car an advantage the leading car did not have: a flatter rear wing, and therefore less drag, on designated straights. The 2026 regulations broke that logic by introducing active aerodynamics — front and rear wings that flatten on every straight for every driver, all the time. If everyone runs low drag on the straight, opening a flap for the chasing car no longer helps. The overtaking aid had to move somewhere else, and the obvious place was the enormously more powerful electrical system.
How Overtake Mode works
When a driver is within a defined distance of the car ahead at a detection point, they become eligible to use Overtake Mode. Activating it allows the MGU-K to deploy electrical energy at a higher rate and for longer than the normal per-lap limits allow, giving a sustained power advantage down the straight. The energy comes from the same battery that powers the car’s normal deployment, so there is no free lunch: a driver who burns energy attacking has less available for the rest of the lap.
The defending problem
This is where Overtake Mode differs most from DRS. A DRS attack cost the defender nothing but track position. An Overtake Mode attack forces the defender to make a choice: deploy their own normal energy to hold the gap on the straight, and arrive at the next straight depleted, or concede the position and keep their battery. Max Verstappen’s memorable complaint at Monza — that after defending into one corner he was passed on the next straight “like a turtle” — was a perfect description of the trade-off. Drivers now talk about energy the way they once talked about tyres.
Where it works and where it doesn’t
Overtake Mode is most powerful at circuits with long straights, where sustained deployment produces a large closing speed. It is least effective where straights are short or where the battery is already depleted by the end of a lap — the “low-battery racing” that has defined circuits like Monza, where cars can arrive at the braking zone with nothing left to deploy whatever button they press. At such tracks, the decisive factor is not who has Overtake Mode but who managed their harvesting best on the previous lap.
Is it better than DRS?
The honest answer is that opinion is split and the data is still coming in. Supporters argue the new system rewards intelligence and creates genuine two-way battles: an attack can be repelled, a defence can be punished, and the outcome depends on judgement rather than a fixed drag advantage. Critics — including several drivers — argue that the energy management makes the cars feel “unnatural”, that too many overtakes are now decided by battery state rather than bravery, and that lifting and coasting to harvest energy is not what fans want to see. Several drivers have also noted how quickly substitute drivers have adapted to the 2026 cars, which they present as evidence the cars are “too easy” — a criticism that is really about the formula rewarding management over raw car control.
What to watch for on a broadcast
Overtake Mode has no visible flap, so broadcasters show it through graphics: an on-screen indicator when a driver is eligible, and battery state-of-charge displays that reveal who is running low. When you see a driver lift early into a corner while apparently unpressured, they are usually harvesting for an attack or a defence a lap later. The overtake itself often happens two straights after the battle visibly began.
Frequently asked questions
What is Overtake Mode?
A driver-activated burst of extra electrical deployment, available within range of the car ahead, that replaced DRS in 2026. Officially, manual override mode.
Why did F1 get rid of DRS?
Active aerodynamics reduce drag on every straight for every driver, so a rear-wing flap no longer gave the chaser a unique advantage.
Can a driver use Overtake Mode to defend?
No — it is available only to the chasing car. Defending uses normal deployment, which costs energy later in the lap.
Why do drivers say the 2026 cars feel unnatural?
Because managing battery energy has become as important as car control, some feel racing is dictated by energy strategy rather than driving on the limit.
