2026 rules · Updated for 2026
F1 Overtake Mode explained
The 2026 close-following aid that gives an eligible chasing driver extra electrical deployment.
Quick answer
A driver within one second at the detection point gains an additional electrical-energy allowance for the following lap. They can deploy it in one burst or spread it around the lap.
Eligibility
Like the old DRS race rule, the trigger begins with a timing gap: the chasing car must be within one second at the defined detection point. Eligibility and deployment are not the same moment.
What the driver receives
The system provides an extra energy allowance and a more favourable electrical power profile, helping the chasing car sustain speed for longer as velocity rises.
The strategic choice
A driver may spend the benefit at the most important passing point or distribute it across the lap. That makes defence, battery state and the next detection point part of the decision.