Even though it\u2019s the off-season, it was still a busy day of F1 news as we look ahead to all-new regulations coming in a matter of weeks.<\/p>\n
FOM and the FIA unveiled some significant announcements ahead of the new campaign, so let\u2019s dive right in.<\/p>\n
Say hello to \u2018Overtake Mode\u2019 and \u2018Boost Mode\u2019<\/p>\n
FOM and the FIA revealed some updated terminology which will come into play next season, with \u2018Overtake Mode\u2019 set to be an indirect replacement for DRS.<\/p>\n
While \u2018Boost Mode\u2019 will see drivers able to deploy extra battery power anywhere around a lap, \u2018Overtake Mode\u2019 will be in use in certain parts of the track where drivers are within one second of the car ahead.<\/p>\n
\u2018Active Aero\u2019 will also play a key part next season, which gives both the front and rear wing the ability to move to certain angles to help with cornering or in a straight line.<\/p>\n
Read more:\u00a0MOM is out and Boost Mode in as key F1 2026 terms defined<\/a><\/p>\n Take a closer look at F1 2026 machinery<\/p>\n Along with the new terminology, both FOM and the FIA released all-new renders of the F1 2026 cars from all different angles, giving us a clearer view of what next year\u2019s cars may look like.<\/p>\n We have compiled some of the best photos into a gallery, so you can have a look at what next year may hold \u2013 and how much, when the cars are launched, they may deviate from this.<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0Gallery: FOM and FIA unveil all-new renders of F1 2026 machinery<\/a><\/p>\n Mercedes shows off 12 years of hard work<\/p>\n Having won at least one World Championship in 10 of the 12 years of the now-bygone turbo-hybrid era, Mercedes pulled the covers off years\u2019 worth of its power units at Brixworth, as the team celebrated its achievements.<\/p>\n Reserve driver Fred Vesti was on hand to perform donuts in both the 2014 car, the W05, and its 2025 challenger, the W16, to bookend what has been an incredibly successful era for Mercedes power.<\/p>\n There is more to come next season, but it is rare to see a line-up of title-winning engines alongside one another.<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0Mercedes breaks cover on era-defining power unit in team celebration<\/a><\/p>\n McLaren hope to be \u2018proven correct\u2019 in development strategy<\/p>\n McLaren\u2019s engineering technical director, Neil Houldey, explained the team\u2019s approach to upgrades (or lack thereof) in 2025 came down to wanting to pursue more 2026 development, in what was the opposite approach to Red Bull.<\/p>\n He hopes that will prove to be the right approach, with other teams having stopped development at different times in the year.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were looking for milliseconds,\u201d Houldey told PlanetF1.com and others in Abu Dhabi. \u201cThirty milliseconds was a good upgrade at that point, the whole car was going to give us 0.1 of a second.<\/p>\n \u201cSo when you get to that sort of level, and you\u2019re gaining that sort of time in weeks developing the \u201926 [car], it was clear for us at the time.<\/p>\n \u201cOther teams have continued their [2025] development. Certainly, Red Bull have made some great gains towards the end of the year.<\/p>\n \u201cI still think we\u2019ve made the right decision, and when we go into 2026, hopefully that\u2019ll be proven correct.\u201d<\/p>\n