Formula 1 Is Trying To Confuse The Hell Out Of Us With A Slew Of Brand New Terms

Formula 1 is a great sport, but there's no secret that it can be hard to get into. 

A big reason for that is how complicated it can be from a technical perspective. There's a lot of science and engineering involved, and understanding it a little helps make the sport click.

There are all kinds of terms and acronyms that you need to pick up on to fully understand what is happening. But now that you finally have an understanding of the "drag-reduction system" or DRS and how it's used, it has been killed off and replaced by a bunch of new terms.

READ: NAILED SOME, FACE-PLANTED ON OTHERS: REVISITING SOME BOLD 2025 FORMULA 1 PREDICTIONS

That's because 2026 will see the introduction of totally new cars that have a shorter wheelbase, are narrower, and lighter.

On top of that, there will be new engines that put a greater emphasis on electrical energy, the ground effect tunnels introduced in 2022 are dead, and so too are the "wheel brows."

This is all intended to make the cars more raceable, and hopefully it will lead to more overtaking.

However, they're still giving drivers a bit of help, and that's why the DRS system — the flap in the rear wing that would open up under certain conditions to improve straight line speed — has been replaced by movable elements, or "active aero" that will do pretty much the same thing. The key difference is that it will work on all cars, every single lap. This is different from DRS, which worked only when a driver was within a second of the car in front.

Previously, movable aerodynamic parts were a strict no-no, so this is a big change. That's why we saw teams experimenting with some very goofy-looking versions of this during the postseason test.

Meet The 'Boost' Button and 'Overtake Mode'

On top of that, drivers will continue to have more power from their energy recovery systems, or ERS. That's not new, but this is now being referred to as the "Boost" button. I like that. It's accessible, and there's really no question about what it does. It gives drivers a boost as they deploy the energy saved in their batteries.

Where this might get a little confusing is that in 2026, there will be another tool available to drivers, and this will be called "Overtake Mode."

I found this a little confusing. In previous years, you'd sometimes hear teams refer to what is now called the "Boost" button, the "overtake button." That's because one of the primary uses for this is to overtake another car.

Ironically, the other use is to fend off an overtake from another driver.

READ: F1 CHAMP LANDO NORRIS’ MODEL GIRLFRIEND IS TAKING A VICTORY LAP IN CHRISTMAS LINGERIE

The new "Overtake Mode" works only under certain conditions, similar to DRS. It will be activated when a driver is within a second of the driver ahead upon reaching the detection point. According to F1, this will generally be in the final corner. In Overtake Mode, drivers will be able to recharge their batteries at a higher rate and deploy more of it to reach higher speeds.

This will be most effective on straights, just like DRS was.

That's a quick rundown of what was announced on Wednesday. I'm sure we'll all become better acquainted with all of this once we get some cars on track in testing and on the first race weekend in Australia.

But until then, we've all got some studying up to do.