Manual Override Mode (MOM) & Energy Deployment Explained
Overtake Mode & Energy Deployment Explained: How F1’s 2026 Electrical Boost Works
In 2026, F1 races are won or lost on how drivers use their battery. The new power units get close to half their power from electricity. That energy has to be harvested, stored, and spent at the right moment on every lap.
This guide explains how the MGU-K works, how drivers recover energy, how Overtake Mode replaced DRS, and what all of it looks like in telemetry.
The 2026 Power Unit in Numbers
The 1.6-litre V6 turbo is still there, but the balance of power has shifted:
- Combustion engine: about 400 kW, down from roughly 550 kW.
- MGU-K (electric motor): 350 kW, almost three times the previous 120 kW.
- MGU-H: removed completely.
- Energy recovered: around 8.5 MJ per lap, about double the old limit.
- Fuel: 100% sustainable.
The MGU-K is connected to the crankshaft. It works in two directions: as a motor it pushes the car forward, and as a generator it slows the rear axle and charges the battery. Because the MGU-K does so much of the braking at the rear, 2026 cars use smaller rear brakes.
How Drivers Harvest Energy
The battery is built for power, not capacity, so it has to be refilled constantly. There are four ways to do it:
1. Braking. Under braking, the MGU-K switches to generator mode and recovers energy from the rear wheels. This is the main source of energy, and it’s why tracks with lots of heavy braking, such as Singapore and Monaco, are easier on the battery.
2. Part-throttle. In medium-speed corners where the driver doesn’t need full power, the engine produces more than the wheels use, and the surplus goes into the battery.
3. Lift and coast. The driver lifts off the throttle before the normal braking point and lets the car coast while the MGU-K harvests. The cost is that lifting also closes the active aero into Corner Mode, which adds drag.
4. Super clipping. At full throttle near the end of a long straight, the system diverts engine power into the battery. The car loses a little top speed, but the active aero stays open, so it costs far less than lifting.
How Energy Is Deployed
Drivers spend that energy in three ways.
Standard Deployment
The MGU-K adds up to 350 kW on corner exits and along the straights. Above about 290 km/h, the electrical power starts to taper, and it reaches zero at 345 km/h. This taper is the main reason a car’s speed line flattens out on a long straight.
Overtake Mode (formerly Manual Override Mode)
Overtake Mode is F1’s replacement for DRS. A driver who is within one second of the car ahead at the detection point gets the boost for the whole of the following lap. That gives two advantages:
- +0.5 MJ of extra energy to harvest and spend on that lap.
- A higher speed ceiling. Full 350 kW deployment continues up to about 337 km/h, and the taper only reaches zero at 355 km/h.
So on a long straight, the car behind keeps accelerating after the car ahead has started to fade. Unlike DRS, it can use the extra energy wherever it chooses on the lap: all at once, or spread across several straights.
There are a few restrictions. Overtake Mode can’t be used on the opening lap. After a Safety Car, it only becomes available again once every car has passed the detection point. The Race Director can also switch it off in poor conditions (full rules).
The original 2026 regulations called it Manual Override Mode, or “MOM”. F1 and the FIA renamed it Overtake Mode before the season to make it clearer for fans.
Boost Mode
Boost is available to every driver, attacking or defending. It is a button that releases stored energy for maximum combined power, anywhere on the lap. The difference is that Boost spends energy already in the battery, while Overtake Mode gives the chasing car extra energy.
What Changed Mid-Season
After drivers criticised the first races of 2026, F1 brought in a package of rule changes from the Miami Grand Prix:
- Super clipping power was raised from 250 kW to 350 kW. Cars can recharge faster at full throttle, so drivers spend less time lifting and coasting.
- The MGU-K is limited to 250 kW outside the key acceleration zones. The full 350 kW is kept from corner exit to braking point, including the overtaking zones.
- Boost is capped at +150 kW above the car’s current power level, to avoid sudden, huge differences in closing speed.
- Qualifying recharge limits were tightened, with super clipping limited to roughly 2–4 seconds per lap. Limits vary by circuit, from 5 MJ at Monza to 9 MJ at Singapore. For the United States GP in Austin, it’s 8 MJ.
Together, these changes moved the cars closer to flat-out racing, with fewer of the unexpected speed differences seen in the opening rounds.
How Energy Changes Defensive Racing
Under the 2026 rules, energy management affects how drivers attack and defend.
The defender can’t match the attacker’s extra energy. The chasing car gets Overtake Mode’s extra +0.5 MJ and higher speed ceiling. The defender only has Boost, which spends from the same limited battery. A defender who uses a big burst on one straight may have little left for the next.
Defending can cost harvesting. A defending driver often brakes on a compromised line to cover the inside, which can mean harvesting less in that braking zone than they would on their normal line. Defending hard into one corner can leave the defender short of energy two corners later.
Passes can happen mid-straight. Because the attacker decides where to spend their energy, the pass doesn’t have to happen in the braking zone. The speed difference can build anywhere the defending car starts to fade.
The car that’s passed often gets Overtake Mode back. If it stays within one second at the next detection point, it can retake the position a lap later. That’s why many 2026 battles go back and forth for several laps.
You can see these exchanges in our race recaps, such as Norris’s pass on Antonelli at Zandvoort.
How Overtake Mode Shows Up in Telemetry
Load a lap into our Interactive Telemetry Viewer and compare two drivers on the same straight. Look for these patterns:
1. The fade above 290 km/h. In standard mode, the speed line bends and flattens as the electrical power tapers. A car in Overtake Mode keeps climbing for longer before it flattens.
2. A plateau at full throttle. If the throttle trace shows 100% but the speed line goes flat or dips slightly before the braking point, that’s clipping: the battery has stopped deploying, or the car is super clipping to recharge.
3. An early drop on the throttle trace. If throttle falls to zero before the brake trace starts, the driver is lifting and coasting. The gap between the two lines shows how much energy they’re saving.
4. A sudden jump in acceleration. A sharp increase in speed gain partway through a straight, with no change in throttle, usually means Boost was used.
New to telemetry? Start with how to read F1 telemetry in the 2026 era, and use mini-sector timing to find exactly where on the straight the time changes hands.
FAQ
What is Overtake Mode in F1? Overtake Mode is the 2026 replacement for DRS. A driver within one second of the car ahead at the detection point gets an extra 0.5 MJ of energy and keeps full electrical power up to a higher speed for the next lap.
What was Manual Override Mode (MOM)? Manual Override Mode was the original name for Overtake Mode in the 2026 regulations. It was renamed before the season.
How powerful is the MGU-K in 2026? 350 kW, almost three times the previous 120 kW. Electricity now provides close to half of the car’s total power.
What is super clipping in F1? Super clipping is when the car diverts engine power into the battery at full throttle, usually at the end of a long straight. It costs a little top speed but recharges the battery without the driver having to lift.
What’s the difference between Boost and Overtake Mode? Boost lets any driver spend energy already stored in the battery, wherever they choose. Overtake Mode is only available to a car within one second of the one ahead, and it gives that car extra energy plus a higher speed limit for the next lap.