The 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix delivered plenty of drama, but overtaking proved remarkably difficult as Formula 1’s new power unit regulations exposed an unexpected problem. Cars reached speeds of up to 360 km/h at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, yet the very rules designed to manage electric power deployment made it extremely difficult for drivers to pass one another. The FIA is now working on changes that could improve the situation in 2027.
Unlike in Madrid, where the narrow layout of the circuit contributed to the difficulty of overtaking, Mexico’s problem was largely caused by altitude. The thinner air allowed the new-generation cars to reach unprecedented speeds, exposing a weakness in the regulations governing the electric motor. As a result, drivers often found themselves unable to exploit the additional power intended to help them overtake.
The F1 power unit rule that made overtaking almost impossible in Mexico
At approximately 2,200 metres above sea level, Mexico City regularly produces some of the highest top speeds of the Formula 1 season. Air density is more than 20% lower than at sea level, meaning cars encounter significantly less aerodynamic drag along the straights.
Unlike under the previous regulations, teams did not fit the maximum-downforce wings traditionally used at this circuit. The introduction of active aerodynamics has made those configurations unnecessary. Consequently, most cars reached maximum speeds of between 350 and 360 km/h during the race, entering a performance range that had remained largely unexplored with the 2026 Formula 1 power units and their energy deployment limits.
For safety reasons, the regulations require the electric motor’s power output to decrease progressively at high speeds. At the Mexico City Grand Prix, the FIA established specific deployment limits governing how much electrical assistance drivers could use.
Under normal conditions, cars were permitted to deploy the full 350 kW of electric power up to 290 km/h. Beyond that threshold, output had to decrease progressively until reaching zero at 345 km/h.
Overtake Mode offered the attacking driver a different deployment profile. The pursuing car could maintain greater electrical assistance at higher speeds, with full power available until close to 345 km/h before being progressively reduced to zero by 355 km/h.
The FIA can adjust these thresholds according to the characteristics of each circuit. However, the fundamental problem remains unchanged: the faster the cars travel, the smaller the electrical power advantage available to the attacking driver becomes.
At Mexico City, cars were reaching approximately 360 km/h towards the end of the main straight. By that point, electrical deployment had already been completely cut off, eliminating the difference between the attacking and defending cars.
This severely compromised overtaking opportunities. The situation was made even more difficult by the reduced effectiveness of the slipstream and the risk of overheating, both consequences of the thinner air at high altitude.
The issue was particularly significant because the main straight should theoretically provide one of the best overtaking opportunities on the circuit. Instead, the speed-dependent electrical power restrictions prevented following drivers from maintaining their advantage all the way to the braking zone. Lewis Hamilton criticised the 2026 F1 engine regulations following the difficulties experienced during the Mexican Grand Prix.
The unusually high speeds also illustrate how the performance characteristics of the new cars can change depending on circuit conditions. The differences between drivers and teams can be explored through the F1 Top Speed Comparison, which provides recorded speed data from Formula 1 sessions.
How the FIA plans to improve F1 overtaking in 2027
Fortunately, the situation could improve next season. The latest version of the 2027 Formula 1 technical regulations no longer includes the speed threshold at which electrical power must be completely cut off.
Furthermore, from 2027, Overtake Mode will provide the attacking driver with an additional 50 kW of electrical power. While the pursuing car will be able to use up to 350 kW, the defending car will be limited to 300 kW.
This change is intended to create a more substantial power difference between cars involved in an overtaking battle, potentially reducing the difficulties seen in Mexico.
However, the FIA is also examining another possible problem. As Nikolas Tombazis recently revealed to FormulaPassion.it, the governing body is working to preserve overtaking opportunities as the Formula 1 power unit regulations evolve.
One concern for 2027 is that increasing the contribution of the internal combustion engine at the expense of electrical power could reduce the differences between energy management strategies. Those differences have been one of the main factors helping drivers complete overtakes during the 2026 season.
“There is a reasonable chance that, at some circuits, this could affect overtaking,” Tombazis explained.
“For this reason, we have launched a project specifically focused on overtaking, looking at how to manage the energy profiles of the car ahead compared with the car behind.”
FIA considers increasing the energy advantage for attacking drivers
One solution being considered by the FIA is to increase the additional electrical energy available to an attacking driver. Under the current regulations, this advantage is set at 0.5 MJ.
Increasing that allowance could provide following cars with more flexibility in how they deploy electrical power, potentially making it easier to establish a meaningful speed difference during an overtaking attempt.
The challenge is to ensure that the benefit remains effective under different circuit conditions, particularly at venues where cars already reach exceptionally high speeds.
Mexico demonstrated how the combination of high altitude, reduced aerodynamic drag and electrical deployment restrictions can undermine the effectiveness of Overtake Mode. Although the 2026 regulations were designed to give attacking drivers an advantage, that benefit effectively disappeared at the highest speeds.
The FIA’s objective is to address these shortcomings before the 2027 season. As Ferrari’s Mexico GP performance analysis also illustrates, the characteristics of the circuit and the limitations of electric power deployment played an important role in the racing.
Overtaking is not necessarily synonymous with exciting racing, but making passing almost impossible, as happened in Mexico, risks leaving the competitive order effectively frozen. The changes being considered for 2027 are intended to prevent that situation from becoming a recurring problem.
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