F1 fans' overtaking fears highlighted by Bahrain testing video

Isack Hadjar, Lewis Hamilton, Generic, Bahrain, 2025, test — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 fans' overtaking fears highlighted by Bahrain testing video

F1 power units have completely changed since 2025

Originally written by Sam Cook. This version is a translation.

Saturday 21 February 2026 21:00

F1 fans on social media were complaining last week about an attempted overtake during pre-season testing by Max Verstappen.

The new power unit regulations mean that there are a plethora of new ways for F1 drivers to overtake their rivals, but it is somewhat confusing for fans to understand.

Drivers can use both an 'overtake mode' and a 'boost button', but only if they have enough charge left on their battery.

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Overtake mode will only be able to be used when there is enough charge remaining on the battery, but offers drivers an extra +0.5 megajoules of energy when they are within one second of the car ahead at the activation point. The use of this extra energy can be spread throughout the lap.

Now, during the pre-season testing session at the Bahrain International Circuit, fans got a glimpse of how this extra energy can help drivers in their overtaking procedures, and it's safe to say that X users were less than impressed.

A video circling on the platform shows Verstappen trying to make his way past Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas down the home straight of the Bahrain International Circuit.

"They promised us better overtaking in 2026. Instead, we got this: Temu batteries," one social media user bemoaned, while another said: "It’s Formula E, but worse."

Another fan said: "F1 went from the pinnacle of motorsport to needing a charging cable mid race."

However, some fans were much more positive about the video, with one saying: "Actually isn't this the sort of overtake we all want? Enough to get alongside but still need to do it on the brakes, instead of a simple breeze past like we had with DRS."

Another pointed to the fact that Verstappen may not have utilised the extra energy well during the manoeuvre, saying: "This looks like battery mismanagement when overtaking (it’s testing after all) as opposed to an issue. Drivers will utilise the slipstream, save relatively more battery and deploy it later down the straight when the opponent has run out of battery to overtake."

Will overtaking be easier in 2026?

The whole idea of making the cars lighter, narrower and smaller in 2026 was to try and ensure that we have more overtaking opportunities at narrow street circuits, which are becoming more and more common on the F1 calendar.

But don't suddenly expect to see the Monaco Grand Prix turn into the most thrilling event on the calendar. The cars are still much heavier and bigger than they were 30 or 40 years ago, and the eradication of DRS could go one of two ways.

The hope is that we will no longer see so-called 'DRS trains' forming, where a number of drivers are all stuck in that one-second range of each other, all benefiting from DRS from the car in front, and that there will be more variance in the way in which drivers utilise their 'boost button' and overtake mode.

But time will tell whether this actually makes overtaking easier, or whether drivers are finding it too hard to keep up a good enough level of battery to be able to make it work, as showcased by Verstappen in testing.

F1 Red Bull 2026 regulations Cadillac pre-season testing