FIA makes surprise Monaco Grand Prix decision as key change emerges
Overtake Mode will be detected just before Rascasse, but another overtaking weapon is not set for use in Monaco.
The FIA has confirmed that the Monaco Grand Prix lap will not feature a designated Straight Mode zone.
It marks the first time that moveable wings will be made unavailable on a race weekend for the first time since SM’s predecessor, DRS, was introduced in 2011.
FIA drops Straight Mode for 2026 Monaco Grand Prix
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During the era of DRS from 2011 until 2025, circuits on the Formula 1 calendar have looked to utilise the active aerodynamic feature on at least one portion of the circuit, with the majority using two or more over the course of the lap.
Even within the tight confines at the Monaco Grand Prix, the short start/finish straight between Anthony Noghes and Sainte Devote was its one DRS zone, but Straight Mode – its de facto replacement under the F1 2026 regulations – will not be available next weekend.
Importantly, drivers will still be able to utilise Overtake Mode when within one second of the car in front in the same area of the circuit, with OM detection taking place between the Swimming Pool section and Rascasse, and activation coming just before Turns 18 and 19, named after original race organiser Anthony Noghes.
It is a first on the F1 2026 calendar, too, with the weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix having made use of three Straight Mode zones as an example – though, of course, the amount of these zones will vary at every track, dependent on how often it can be safely utilised.
With Monaco’s start/finish straight being curved, it appears a decision has been taken to remove the movable front and rear wings for this event at this stage, given the amount of downforce drivers drop when SM is in use.
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Always the toughest circuit of the season on which to overtake, drivers have spoken more positively about the potential of this year’s Monaco Grand Prix, given the way energy is deployed by the current cars.
Gabriel Bortoleto is one of those unsure at the moment, though, and the removal of Straight Mode may yet play its part.
“I think it’s going to be difficult to overtake in Monaco if I’m honest with you,” he explained in Canada, “because there is a lot of recharging in Monaco. You don’t really suffer with energy there.
“The SM will be off, if I understood correctly, so also the effect of the wing is not going to be there.
“I think hopefully it’s a bit more fun racing than last year, but we know that we have now these big cars, and unfortunately it’s not easy to overtake, so I don’t expect to be massively different from the past, but I hope to be wrong. Let’s see.”
Last year’s Monaco Grand Prix trialled a one-off rule of imposing a mandatory two-stop race on the drivers, but that has been removed for the 2026 event.
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