Why the 2026 F1 cars will not use Straight Mode in Monaco
Formula 1 will take on a different appearance for the Monaco Grand Prix weekend on June 7. More accurately, the sport’s all-new 2026 technical package will be adapted to suit the most unique circuit on the calendar. Around the narrow streets of Monte Carlo, teams will not be allowed to use one of the most significant innovations introduced under the new regulations: the aerodynamic straight-line configuration known as Straight Mode.
This system allows both the front and rear movable wings to reduce drag on the straights, improving efficiency and increasing top speed. However, Monaco’s demanding layout has prompted the FIA to take a different approach.
The decision became clear from the official circuit documentation, which shows no designated activation zones for Straight Mode during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend. In addition, a specific mapping for the electrical side of the power unit has been mandated, effectively reducing the amount of available power drivers can access.
As a result, the 2026 Formula 1 cars will be operating in a less aggressive configuration than originally intended. They will remain in their higher-downforce aerodynamic setup throughout the lap rather than switching into a lower-drag mode. The FIA has adopted this approach primarily for safety reasons on a circuit where run-off areas are virtually non-existent, barriers are extremely close to the racing line, and even the smallest mistake can have immediate consequences.
Why Monaco will not use Straight Mode in 2026
This restriction is unique to Monte Carlo. The new generation of Formula 1 cars has been designed around a very different philosophy compared to previous eras, with a greater emphasis on electrical power, energy management and active aerodynamics.
The movable wings are capable of switching between a high-downforce configuration for cornering performance and a low-drag configuration intended to maximize speed on the straights. On most circuits, this flexibility is expected to play a major role in performance and overtaking opportunities.
Monaco, however, offers very few sections that can truly be considered straights. Even the start-finish stretch, where DRS was previously available, has not been judged suitable for activating the new aerodynamic system.
The tunnel remains the clearest example of why caution has prevailed. Historically excluded from DRS activation because of safety concerns, it continues to represent one of the fastest sections of the circuit despite its narrow width and minimal margin for error. High speeds combined with close barriers make it an area where any additional performance gain could significantly increase risk.
For that reason, the FIA has decided against allowing teams to reduce aerodynamic load in such an extreme environment, effectively removing one of the technologies designed to improve efficiency and straight-line speed under the 2026 Formula 1 regulations.
MGU-K output will also be limited in Monaco
The restrictions extend beyond aerodynamics. According to specialist publication The Race, the FIA has also introduced a dedicated electrical power-unit mapping for the Monaco Grand Prix.
The configuration, known as “Rev 1”, has been designed to prevent cars from reaching excessively high speeds before braking zones on a circuit where escape roads are limited and walls are only centimetres away from the racing line.
Under normal conditions, the contribution from the MGU-K would only begin to reduce once a car reaches approximately 290 km/h. In Monaco, however, the reduction will start much earlier, at 200 km/h. By the time a car reaches 300 km/h, electrical assistance will have been completely removed.
This measure further limits the performance potential of the 2026 cars around Monte Carlo and demonstrates the FIA’s determination to tailor the regulations to the specific demands of the Principality.
Overtake Mode remains as Formula 1 seeks more overtaking in Monaco
There is, however, one important exception. While Straight Mode will not be available, the FIA has chosen to retain Overtake Mode, a new feature introduced for the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The system is designed to provide an additional electrical power boost to a chasing driver when running within one second of the car ahead at a predetermined detection point. Formula 1 has promoted the feature as one of the key tools intended to improve overtaking opportunities, even at circuits that have traditionally produced processional races.
For Monaco, the detection point has been positioned before the Rascasse corner, with activation taking place on the exit and along the section leading towards Anthony Noghes, the final corner before the main straight.
This arrangement still gives drivers an opportunity to launch an attack, but without combining it with the most aggressive aerodynamic setup. Even with Overtake Mode activated, electrical power at 300 km/h will be reduced to 150 kW before dropping completely to zero at 310 km/h.
Safer but less extreme Formula 1 cars on the streets of Monte Carlo
The overall result will be a more controlled version of Formula 1 in the Principality. Without Straight Mode, the cars will carry greater aerodynamic load throughout the lap and achieve lower top speeds in areas where, on other circuits, the movable wings would normally switch into their low-drag configuration.
At the same time, drivers will not have access to the full electrical power deployment available elsewhere on the calendar, further reducing the performance extremes of the new generation of cars.
Monaco therefore becomes the first true stress test of the 2026 Formula 1 regulations. The sport’s most iconic venue has effectively forced the FIA to apply the rulebook selectively, demonstrating that not every technical feature will be used at every circuit.
On the streets of Monte Carlo, safety remains the overriding priority. The governing body wants to ensure that the new generation of Formula 1 machinery does not become excessively fast in the one place where drivers have the least room for error. At the same time, by retaining Overtake Mode, Formula 1 hopes to preserve the possibility of wheel-to-wheel action at a circuit where overtaking has historically been one of the greatest challenges.
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