Why overtaking still looks “difficult” with 2026 F1 cars

Both Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman are pessimistic about overtaking with Formula 1’s 2026 machinery following the Barcelona pre-season test.

The Haas drivers were on track for three days – as many as allowed – in F1’s shakedown last week and completed nearly 400 laps according to unofficial data.

That was enough to get a taste of the new VF-26, which meets F1’s revamped chassis and engine regulations for the upcoming season, featuring stripped-down aerodynamics as downforce is reduced by 15-30% and drag is cut by up to 40%.

Yet, overtaking may prove even trickier than in the past, based on early impressions from the Catalan running – even with the new Overtake Mode replacing DRS, which is a power boost for drivers within one second of a rival.

“I’ve been following a few cars,” Ocon said. “You seem to lose quite a lot of front load, a bit more maybe than before, but we need to see. And the Overtake [Mode], yes, I played with it.

“I don’t want to give too early conclusions on how it’s going to be because obviously, it needs to be adjusted, optimised, etc., for that to work in a perfect way. But so far, it looks to be difficult to pass. That’s my first thought about it, but I hope it’s going to get on the easier side.”

Sophomore team-mate Bearman concurred, pointing out ‘quite a big shift in car balance’ in dirty air right behind another car.

“In terms of following and overtaking and everything, I didn’t really get a massive feeling on that of course, it’s not a priority,” the 20-year-old Briton commented. “I managed to do a few laps in and around other cars.

“I must say that it was a bit more challenging to follow, just given my relatively few laps I did. It picked up quite a big shift in balance compared to clean air, which seemed a bit more so than the previous generation of cars. But again, it’s very early days.

“No, I didn’t really get to use the Overtake Mode, but I was still able to try it just in clean air. We need to see the difference in cooling and all of those things. So I was able to try it, but I wasn’t able to use it to overtake someone, if that makes sense.”

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