EXPLAINED: Why race starts will be different in 2026

Race starts under the sweeping new technical regulations for 2026 are set to be slightly different to what we’ve seen before in F1.

Before the season gets underway at the Australian Grand Prix on March 6-8, F1.com explains the alterations and the reasons behind them…

What is turbo lag?

Firstly, let’s take a closer look at why race starts are changing following the introduction of a technical reset.

Because of the way the new cars’ power units are configured, the sequence of actions performed by the drivers as they approach the grid, wait for the start and then accelerate away has become a little different – as was demonstrated during pre-season testing.

Without the previous MGU-H (Motor Generator Unit – Heat) electrical motor to help quickly spin the turbo up to speed, the turbocharger – which delivers its maximum boost when running at around 100,000rpm – is now relying totally on the energy of the exhaust gases.

The higher the engine is being revved, the faster the exhausts flow, and the faster the turbo spins. When the turbo is not running with maximum boost pressure, there will be a delay between pressing the throttle and getting the full power delivery being requested.

This is turbo lag – a phenomenon which wasn’t really present in the 2014-25 cars because the MGU-H could be used to keep the turbo spinning, or to re-accelerate it before the driver needed to request more power to ensure there was enough boost.

In order to have the ICE’s (internal combustion engine’s) full power available in the getaway off the line and into the first corner, the turbo needs to be already spinning at full speed as the gantry lights go off.

However, it takes some time of revving the engine to get the turbo up to speed ready for instant lag-free full deployment. The challenge for drivers will be to balance the engine revs – alongside the time needed to get the turbo up to speed – and then to hold the target revs intended to match the release of the clutch for the best start performance.

What is the new race start procedure?

Following discussions on this topic, the FIA confirmed that it would trial a new race start process – featuring a pre-start warning – during the second pre-season test in Bahrain, which is set to be replicated from Australia onwards.

The new process will involve drivers – once they are back in position on the grid after the formation lap – being given a pre-start warning, with all grid panels flashing blue for five seconds prior to the start. This will allow them enough time to build up the revs, as mentioned above, and will then be followed by the standard start light procedure.

As with anything new, teams and drivers will become better at understanding the requirements the more races they do. But starts in the first few races of 2026 are likely to be very exciting.