F1 Overtaking Evolution: DRS, Ground Effect, and What’s Next?

If you’ve followed Formula 1 for more than a few seasons, you’ve seen the sport wrestle with one recurring problem: how to make overtaking possible without making it trivial. We’ve lived through the refuelling era and tyre wars, the dawn of DRS, and the ground‑effect reset of 2022. In 2026 the FIA plans another step that could shift the balance again with active aero and an energy “manual override.”

Below, we explain what changed, why it mattered, and what’s coming — with practical context for how it affects points, standings, and the championship narrative you’re tracking live with RaceMate.

Key takeaways (quick read)

  • Pre‑2010s strategy era: Refuelling and tyre offsets enabled position changes via pit cycles, but on‑track passes were scarce when following was difficult in dirty air.
  • 2011 DRS introduction: Pass counts jumped as trailing cars could shed drag in set zones. Exciting, but sometimes “too easy,” creating DRS trains on certain layouts.
  • 2022 ground‑effect cars: Cars follow more closely through corners; tow effect on straights is weaker, so DRS still does heavy lifting on many tracks.
  • Scoring note for 2025: There is no fastest‑lap bonus. Overtaking decisions lean even more toward track position and finishing places.
  • 2026 outlook: Active aero for efficiency and a power “manual override” for attacking are slated to reduce reliance on proximity‑triggered DRS for overtakes.

Before DRS: Refuelling, tyre wars and the pit‑stop pass

From the mid‑1990s to 2009, F1’s spectacle often hinged on fuel windows and tyre performance splits rather than wheel‑to‑wheel passes. Refuelling allowed teams to run light and leapfrog rivals by pitting out of sequence. Meanwhile, the tyre manufacturer battles (notably Bridgestone vs Michelin) created compound‑ and car‑specific peaks that produced pace deltas more than classic overtakes.

On track, the problem was familiar: complex wings created strong outwash and dirty air that overheated the following car’s tyres and washed out front‑end grip. The 2009 aero trim tried to clean up wakes, but the structural problem persisted on many circuits: you could catch; finishing the pass was the hard part.

What “worked” then — and what didn’t

  • Worked: Strategic undercuts/overcuts; long‑fuel stints into clear air; tyre offset gambles late in stints.
  • Didn’t: Sustained close following in medium‑ and high‑speed corners; decisive braking‑zone lunges without a significant pace delta.

2011: DRS arrives — and overtaking spikes

The Drag Reduction System (DRS) let a trailing driver within one second at the detection line open a rear‑wing flap in designated zones, reducing drag for a brief straight‑line speed gain. The intent was simple: help the quicker car complete the move it had “earned” by catching up in the twisty bits.

DRS did what it said on the tin: on many tracks, the number of passes per race roughly doubled compared with the immediate pre‑DRS era. But its side effects became part of F1’s vocabulary:

  • DRS trains when multiple cars were nose‑to‑tail and all eligible to open the flap, blunting the advantage.
  • Binary racing on some layouts, where the decisive action happened almost exclusively at DRS braking zones.
  • Track‑by‑track sensitivity: Melbourne and Monaco barely changed; long‑straight venues like Baku and Monza could swing dramatically with zone length tweaks.

Was it “artificial”? Purists said yes; many fans said it made Sundays less processional. Both can be true.

2022: Ground effect returns — closer following, different slipstream

The 2022 technical reset shifted downforce generation toward the floor with simplified wings, wheel wake control, and 18‑inch tyres. The goal: reduce the wake’s turbulence, so cars can follow more closely through corners without cooking their tyres.

What changed on track:

  • Following got easier in medium‑speed sequences. Drivers could sit in the one‑second window longer without losing front grip.
  • Slipstream weakened with lower drag and tidier wakes, so the raw tow on straights reduced. Net effect: you can arrive at the straight closer, but you often still need DRS to finish the move.
  • Quality vs quantity: On many Sundays we saw longer multi‑lap battles and switchbacks into complex sequences, even if the total tally of passes depended heavily on circuit profile and DRS tuning.

Bottom line: the new cars made the approach to the pass more “real,” but the final flourish still leans on DRS at numerous venues.

Passing patterns by era (at a glance)

  • Pre‑2011 (no DRS): Fewer on‑track passes; pit strategy was king. Aero wake limited close following, especially in fast corners.
  • 2011–2021 (DRS era v1): Big rise in pass counts, with variability by track and by zone length. Some moves felt routine; others enabled genuine late‑braking duels.
  • 2022–2025 (ground‑effect cars): Better corner‑to‑corner racing; DRS remains decisive at many tracks. FIA routinely shortens/extends zones to balance ease vs challenge.

If you’re watching with live timing, the real tell isn’t a raw pass count; it’s how often a car can sit within 0.7–1.1s through the lap and pressure mistakes. That’s markedly healthier than the worst of the high‑outwash era.

2026 and beyond: Active aero and a “manual override” for attacks

The FIA’s 2026 concept pairs active aerodynamics (efficiency modes that trim drag on the straights and add downforce in corners) with a revised hybrid package. The overtaking aid shifts emphasis from proximity‑triggered flap opening to an energy‑based “manual override” the attacker can deploy to complete moves. Expect:

  • Aero modes predominantly for efficiency, not a pure overtake button.
  • Manual energy override to replace much of DRS’s role as the overtaking enabler, with rules that limit deployment windows to keep defence credible.
  • Zone and detection rethink: The FIA is already experimenting with zone lengths. In 2026 the balance of where and how overtakes are completed may move again as teams converge on best‑use patterns for energy and aero modes.

The success metric won’t be “DRS on/off,” but whether attackers can arrive alongside under braking without passes feeling automatic.

Strategy implications in 2025 (no fastest‑lap point)

Since 2025 dropped the fastest‑lap bonus, late stops purely to chase a purple lap carry no upside. That nudges teams to prioritise track position and clean‑air stint shape over FL gambles — making every overtake attempt more directly tied to the points that feed the standings.

If you need a refresher on how points flow on standard and sprint weekends — and how reduced‑distance results change payouts — see:

2025 snapshot: who’s making moves stick?

As of our latest data update (2025‑09‑07), the title fight highlights how overtaking and race‑craft translate straight into the table:

  • Drivers’ leader: Oscar Piastri (McLaren) — 324 points, 7 wins
  • Chasers: Lando Norris (McLaren) — 293 points, 5 wins; Max Verstappen (Red Bull) — 230 points, 3 wins; George Russell (Mercedes) — 194 points, 1 win
  • Constructors’ leader: McLaren — 617 points, ahead of Ferrari (280), Mercedes (260), Red Bull (242)

McLaren’s strength has combined one‑lap pace with cars that can run close and convert pressure into passes without chewing tyres — the ground‑effect sweet spot.

Overtaking quality: what to watch for on Sundays

Even with DRS, not all passes are created equal. When you’re watching (or second‑screening with live deltas), look for:

  • Corner‑exit overlap: If the chasing car is already alongside before the DRS zone, expect a committed braking duel — higher‑quality pass.
  • Multi‑corner sequences: Genuine racing often shows give‑and‑take through an S‑section rather than “press the button, breeze by, clear out.”
  • Zone tuning: Shortened zones produce more borderline, late‑brake attempts; long zones can create “drive‑by” moves. The FIA’s mid‑season tweaks are a tell for how each venue behaves.
  • Tyre offset timing: With no fastest‑lap carrot, offsets are used to gain track position, not just a purple lap. Undercuts that land you within DRS distance are still the cleanest way to force the pass.

What would “no DRS” racing look like today?

On a subset of tracks (e.g., layouts with multiple heavy‑braking zones after medium‑speed corners), the 2022‑spec cars can produce sustained battles without DRS — and we’ve seen the FIA shorten or temporarily disable zones to test that balance. On narrow street circuits or high‑downforce venues, removing DRS entirely would likely drop overtakes back to strategy windows and rare mistakes. That’s why the short‑term goal isn’t binary removal, but replacing its role with attacker‑controlled energy in 2026.

FAQs

Did DRS “fix” overtaking?

It improved the quantity of passes at many circuits and reduced processions, but sometimes at the cost of drama. The 2022 regs improved how cars approach the pass; DRS still completes many moves. The next step aims to keep the approach while making the final move less automatic.

Why do DRS trains happen?

If several cars sit within one second of each other, they all open DRS, cancelling out the advantage for the car in the middle. Tyre and energy management then decide who breaks the stalemate.

Did the 2022 cars really help?

Yes: they follow more closely through corners. The tow on the straight is weaker, so you often still need an aid to finish the job, but the racing phase before the pass is noticeably healthier.

Will DRS be removed in 2026?

The plan is to shift overtaking help toward active aero for efficiency and a manual energy override for the attacker. That reduces reliance on proximity‑triggered DRS. Expect continued zone tuning in 2025 and a different overtake toolbox in 2026.

How does this impact points and standings?

With no fastest‑lap point in 2025, every overtake directly maps to finishing‑position points. For a deeper dive on scoring, read our guides to sprints, shortened races, and constructors’ points.

Want to see how a single pass flips the title picture? Follow live, lap‑by‑lap projected standings in the RaceMate companion — every overtake, pit stop and safety‑car delta recalculated in real time.