F1 2026 Regulations: What are the new mirror hazard lights?

Leclerc during Day 2 of Bahrain Test 1 — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Explained

F1 2026 Regulations: What are the new mirror hazard lights?

Cars will be a little more visible in 2026

Chris Deeley

Sunday 15 February 2026 16:57 Updated: 14:05

In 2026 the new F1 regulations mean you'll be hearing some unfamiliar terms and this time we're tackling the all new hazard lights.

Yes, that's hazard lights. The sort that you might have on your road car, and for...well, not entirely dissimilar reasons.

F1 never stops looking for ways to make their sport safer, and that's exactly what they're trying to do in this instance.

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Those of you blessed with being able to watch F1 with your eyes will have seen the big red lights on the back of the cars that do big flashes sometimes. We're not talking about those ones here, or the relatively new ones on the rear wing endplates.

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Where are F1's new hazard lights?

These new lights are embedded on the mirrors and, while you won't necessarily see them very often, they could save a driver's life.

The previous lights could essentially only be seen from behind the car. These mirror-mounted side lights are the obvious evolution of that.

Why do F1 cars have lights on their mirrors?

Simple. The old lights (which are still there – this is an addition, not a swap) were great if you were pointing in a straight line and wanted the car(s) behind to see you through rain and spray. They were not much help if you spun around.

No driver is as vulnerable in a racing car as they are when they come to a stop on the track, whether for an unexpected technical issue or after a crash. Rain and spray just exacerbates that risk, as was the case in the tragic death of Dilano van ‘t Hoff at Spa in 2023.

With lights on the mirrors, cars now have a chance to be seen through the spray no matter what direction they're pointing.

FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis has said as much, explaining: "It is to counter a situation in the wet when there’s poor visibility. If a car is spinning and is in a lateral position onto ongoing traffic, these lights will help the ongoing car see the spinning car, and therefore, obviously, hopefully avoid it."

The lights will also flash in conditions where visibility is no issue if the car in question is out of the pits but travelling at under 20 km/h, indicating the status of the new electrical recovery system to the driver and marshals who may need to approach the car, for their safety.

When does the 2026 F1 season start?

The first race of the season is in Melbourne on Sunday March 8 for the Australian Grand Prix. Lights out are at 3pm local time (AEDT), 4am GMT, and 11pm ET.

Meanwhile, the second week of Bahrain testing gets under way on Wednesday February 18 and then continues on Thursday February 19 and Friday February 20.

Each day is split into two sessions with a one-hour lunch break between. Times are as follows:

Session One: 10am-2pm local time (7am-11am UK, 8am-noon CET, 2am-6am Eastern).

Session Two: 3pm-7pm local time (noon-4pm UK, 1pm-5pm CET, 7am-11am Eastern).

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