The new F1 rule that could turn the Monaco Grand Prix on its head

An FIA director has suggested that the F1 2026 regulations could well cause a complete shift in what we would normally expect from the Monaco Grand Prix.

2026 is seeing wholesale regulation changes sweeping into the sport, both when it comes to aerodynamic car rules, as well as new power unit regulations.

It means that F1 cars are set to be smaller, lighter, and more nimble, with the new designs expected to be able to go round corners faster with the help of active aerodynamics.

On top of this, a new 'overtake mode' is set to help F1 drivers to be able to more easily get past their rivals, if they have saved up enough charge on the battery.

Drivers will be handed an extra surge of electrical energy if they are within one second of the car ahead at a particular detection point, which will usually be at the final corner of a lap.

Drivers can then choose whether they want to use this all in one go down the home straight, or spread it out across the course of the lap, helping with both overtaking and then defending that position, or going after another car further up the road, but it can only be used on that following lap.

Overtake mode will give drivers an extra +0.5MJ (megajoules) of recharge, making battery management a crucial responsibility for F1 drivers in 2026.

Now, FIA single-seater technical director Jan Monchaux has said that this new mode, alongside the fact that F1 cars are now slimmer, might make overtaking even at the narrowest street circuits more prominent.

The Monaco GP has been criticised in recent years due to the fact that overtaking around the narrow streets of the Principality is almost impossible, with the race result pretty much being decided during Saturday's qualifying session.

"Monaco remains a challenge due to the nature of the circuit," Monchaux said in quotes reported by Gazzetta.

"But now there will be tools to encourage overtaking because the overtake mode will provide the power needed to increase the likelihood of success."

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How long is Monaco's contract on the F1 calendar?

Despite recent complaints from fans, drivers and pundits alike about the Monaco GP, it still remains an iconic race on the F1 calendar, and has recently had its contract extended.

Monaco will remain a part of the schedule until at least the 2035 season, and it has been around since the 1950 season - barring four years off for different reasons over the years.

In 2025, F1 implemented a mandatory two-stop rule for the race, which was designed to make it more exciting and cause more variation in strategy in terms of when to stop.

Despite pretty much all of the teams opting to pit their cars at very similar times, it has been announced that this rule will remain in place in 2026 too.

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