Managing Energy Portfolios

 

Formula 1 has just crowned a new champion — and is already tearing up the rulebook again.

 

In 2026, cars will look, behave, and think differently. Less brute force. More brain power.

 

No DRS.

 

More electricity.

 

And a new team arriving with suitably American confidence

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◼︎ Formula 1 rarely makes a small change. For 2026, it has opted for wholesale reinvention.

 

◼︎  Fresh from Lando Norris’s two-point title win over Max Verstappen, the sport now turns its attention to a radically new era.

 

◼︎ The grid expands to 22 cars with Cadillac joining as the 11th team, while the technical regulations are comprehensively overhauled — power units, aerodynamics, chassis, the lot.

 

◼︎ The headline change is electrification. As total hybrid power declines, the electrical contribution increases.

 

◼︎ Battery output rises from 120kW to 350kW, fundamentally changing how drivers deploy performance.

 

◼︎ Sustainable fuels become mandatory, and engine manufacturers are back in force — Audi arrives, Honda returns, and Ford partners with Red Bull.

 

◼︎ Aerodynamically, the most controversial move is the end of DRS. In its place comes Manual Override Mode.

 

◼︎ Drivers will switch between Z-mode (high downforce) and X-mode (low drag), creating tactical racing rather than press-button overtakes.

 

◼︎ Safety improves. Cars become more agile. Racing, we’re told, becomes more unpredictable.

 

◼︎ Who benefits? Mercedes quietly likes their chances. History suggests they enjoy a powertrain reset, and their confidence is barely disguised.

 

◼︎ Drivers, meanwhile, foresee a more cerebral sport — where battery management and judgement may matter as much as bravery.

 

Why it matters

 

◼︎ The 2026 rules won’t just reward the fastest car – they’ll reward the smartest organisation and the sharpest driver. Formula 1 is moving from horsepower to headspace.

 

And not everyone will keep up.