Formula 1, Explained: How It Works and What's New in 2026

Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport — the fastest, most technically sophisticated racing series in the world. If you've been watching Drive to Survive on Netflix and want to understand what's actually happening on track, or if you've been a casual fan for years and want to understand the dramatic changes that have made 2026 one of the most talked-about seasons in the sport's history, this is the guide for you.

Topics Covered: Formula 1, Motorsport, Racing, 2026 Season

The Basics: What Is Formula 1?

Formula 1 is a championship series where ten teams, each running two cars, compete across a season of races called Grands Prix held all over the world. The 2026 season features 22 races on five continents. At the end of the season, two championships are awarded: one to the driver with the most points (the World Drivers' Championship) and one to the team with the most combined points (the Constructors' Championship).

The "Formula" in the name refers to a set of rules all cars must follow. Within those rules, teams spend enormous resources — often hundreds of millions of dollars per year — designing and building the fastest car they can. That engineering competition running underneath the racing competition is one of the things that makes F1 unique.

How a Race Weekend Works

A typical F1 race weekend unfolds over three days:

Friday brings two free practice sessions, where teams run their cars, gather data, and test setup changes. It's essentially a long day of engineering experiments at race speed.

Saturday starts with a final practice session, then moves into qualifying — three knockout rounds (Q1, Q2, Q3) that determine the starting grid for Sunday's race. The fastest car in Q3 earns pole position, starting at the front.

Sunday is race day. Depending on the circuit, races run for around 90 minutes to two hours, covering roughly 300 kilometres. Points are awarded to the top ten finishers, with 25 points for a win down to 1 point for tenth.

The Teams and Drivers

Ten teams currently compete in F1. Each team designs and builds its own car but uses a power unit (engine) either built in-house or supplied by one of the manufacturers. In 2026, those manufacturers are Ferrari, Mercedes, Honda, Red Bull Powertrains (in partnership with Ford), and Audi — which joined the sport this year as a full works team for the first time.

Cadillac also made their debut in 2026 as the eleventh team, the first new entrant to the grid since Haas joined in 2016, using Ferrari power units while developing their own long-term programme.

Lando Norris enters 2026 as the reigning World Drivers' Champion, having won the title last year with McLaren.

What's New in 2026: The Biggest Rule Change in F1 History

The 2026 season has introduced what F1 itself has called the most significant regulation overhaul in the sport's history, touching the cars' engines, aerodynamics, dimensions, and fuel.

New Power Units

The biggest change is under the hood. F1 cars have always used turbocharged hybrid V6 engines, but in previous years the internal combustion engine did most of the work. From 2026, the power split is roughly 50/50 between the combustion engine and an electric motor — making these genuinely hybrid machines in a meaningful sense, not just in name.

This has attracted new manufacturers to the sport (Audi, Ford) and made F1's technology more relevant to the road cars these companies actually sell.

Active Aerodynamics

Previous F1 cars had a system called DRS (Drag Reduction System) that let drivers open a flap in the rear wing to go faster on straights when following another car — a tool specifically for overtaking. In 2026, DRS is gone, replaced by fully active aerodynamics. Every car's front and rear wings now automatically adjust their angle as the car moves around the circuit, opening up in low-drag mode on straights and closing for more grip in corners. This is available to every driver on every lap, making the cars faster and more responsive throughout.

Overtake Mode

In place of DRS, there's now an "Overtake Mode": if a driver gets within one second of the car ahead at a designated point on the track, they unlock access to extra electrical power for the following lap to help them attack. It rewards close racing and creates exciting strategic decisions throughout a race.

Smaller, Lighter Cars

The 2026 cars are noticeably smaller and lighter than their predecessors. The wheelbase (length) has been reduced, the width is narrower, the tyres are slightly slimmer, and the minimum weight has dropped. The result is a car that's more nimble and, according to several drivers, more enjoyable and intuitive to drive.

Sustainable Fuel

For the first time, all F1 cars now run on advanced sustainable fuel made from sources like carbon capture, municipal waste, and non-food biomass. This is part of F1's broader commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.

How the 2026 Season Has Gone So Far

The new regulations have made for a genuinely exciting and unpredictable season. The shift to 50/50 hybrid power has reshuffled the competitive order — teams that adapted best to the new power unit architecture have jumped up the standings, while some traditional front-runners have had to work harder than expected.

The new active aerodynamics and Overtake Mode have produced more on-track action, with positions changing hands more frequently than in recent years. There have also been some mid-season adjustments to the technical rules, fine-tuning how the electric power is deployed to make qualifying more exciting and racing safer, particularly around speed differentials between cars.

Common Questions

Why are there pit stops? Tyres wear out and need replacing. Teams choose when to pit based on tyre performance, strategy, and what their rivals are doing — it's one of the most exciting tactical layers of a race.

What is the fastest F1 cars have gone? Top speeds on the straights regularly exceed 350 km/h (about 220 mph). The cars accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in under 2.5 seconds.

How do teams score points? Points go to the top ten finishers in each race: 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1. There's also an additional point on offer for the fastest lap of the race.

Conclusion

Formula 1 is a sport where the fastest drivers in the world push the most sophisticated machines ever built to their absolute limits, on circuits across the globe, in front of a global audience of hundreds of millions. The 2026 season has brought the most sweeping changes the sport has ever seen — new cars, new power, new teams, and a new champion to defend — making it a genuinely thrilling time to be a fan, whether you've watched for decades or are tuning in for the very first time.