McLaren predicting 'unexpected overtakes' in F1 with the 2026 regulations
McLaren's Technical Director - Performance, Mark Temple, believes "unexpected overtaking manoeuvres" will be frequent throughout racing in 2026 as a result of the brand new regulations.
"Personally, I'm quite excited to see how that all plays out, but it will definitely be different to what we've seen previously."- Mark Temple
The regulation overhaul that comes into effect for the upcoming campaign sees electrical power increase from 120 kilowatts to 350 kW, almost three times the amount compared to last year.
The introduction of the new 'Boost Button' will allow drivers to deploy maximum electrical energy from the 50% of electrical power at any point on track, with that and active aerodynamics replacing DRS.
As a result, energy management and battery deployment will be a vital feature in races throughout the 2026 season, and it is a factor that will contribute to some unorthodox overtakes.
"We will see more variation, and we will see perhaps some unexpected overtaking manoeuvres," Temple explained to GPblog and others during a McLaren event.
"You'll see one driver overcommitting early by getting past, but then they will be compromising themselves on the following straight.
"I think that will be interesting and I think quite exciting, but also I think a good challenge for the drivers to figure it out. Personally, I'm quite excited to see how that all plays out, but it will definitely be different to what we've seen previously."
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How battery power will create crazy overtakes
The move to increased battery power is one of the biggest regulation changes for the upcoming season, shifting to the 50/50 split between electrical power and an internal combustion engine (ICE).
Now, with the added importance of battery power via the 'Boost Button' and the abandonment of DRS, Temple explained how it will have an effect on racing in 2026.
"In previous years, there was the idea of wanting your pack full to help overtake. But for the same, let's say, battery capacity and energy that you have, you had a much lower level of power, so you used it for a longer period of time," continued the Brit.
"Now, we have a similar capacity battery, but you have a higher level of power, so you can use that more on a single straight, get a bigger boost in that one straight from that extra battery capacity.
"But then, maybe your pack is empty, and then you'll go into the next corner and come out of it with only what you were able to recover in that corner, and that could then leave you exposed.
"I think it will be interesting, particularly in the beginning when drivers are trying to figure out that it's not just about what they do, it's also how the cars around them will respond to what they do."
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'Chess at high speed' in 2026
There has also been plenty of talk from drivers about how the 2026 machines will take a period of time to figure out, requiring an overhaul in driving style at every opportunity.
Those thoughts were echoed by World Champion Lando Norris, who stated that drivers will "still have to figure out how to be on the limit of the car as much as possible" throughout the campaign.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli also spoke about the thought process that will go into driving these new machines, calling it "chess at high speed".
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