Formula 1’s return to Spa-Francorchamps this weekend will introduce a striking new element to the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, with the FIA confirming drivers will be able to activate straight-line mode on the downhill blast from La Source towards Eau Rouge.
The decision creates one of the most technically demanding aerodynamic layouts of the season, with five straight-line mode (SM) zones available around the legendary circuit – matching the highest total seen this year, alongside the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
While active aero will be permitted on the run towards Eau Rouge, drivers will have to close the movable wings before tackling Spa’s daunting Raidillon, preserving the high-downforce configuration needed through one of Formula 1’s fastest and most intimidating corners.
Five SM zones promise opportunity – and compromise
In addition to the new section between La Source and Eau Rouge, straight-line mode will also be available on the start-finish straight, the Kemmel Straight after Raidillon, the run from Stavelot, and the final blast towards the Bus Stop chicane after Blanchimont.
Overtake Mode – the 2026 equivalent of the former DRS-assisted passing aid through an electrical power boost – will meanwhile be available on the pit straight.
But while the expanded use of active aero offers drivers more opportunities to reduce drag, it also intensifies one of the defining challenges of Formula 1’s new power-unit era: energy management.
Alonso: Drivers face impossible deployment choices
Aston Martin veteran Fernando Alonso believes Spa’s combination of long straights and lengthy full-throttle sections will force drivers into very difficult strategic compromises over where to deploy their electrical energy.
“Silverstone and Spa, they are very thirsty on energy and you cannot deploy on all the straights,” Alonso said at Silverstone, last time out.
“[At Spa], it’s going to be the same thing. If you deploy at Spa from Turn 1 to 5, finito for the rest of the lap. You need to save a little bit there to have deployment from [Turn] 14 [Stavelot] to the Bus Stop.
“But if you deploy on those two straights, which is the optimal deployment, then there is a one-minute Sector 2 with no deployment at all.
“And with no deployment at all, we cannot forget that this year we have significantly less power than last year and less power than F2.
“That’s the case when you cut the deployment. It’s a challenge.”
Alonso’s assessment underlines the balancing act awaiting teams next weekend. While the FIA has created more opportunities for aerodynamic gains, extracting maximum lap time may depend less on how often drivers open their wings than on whether they still have energy left when it matters most.
Read also: Alonso out, Crawford in for Belgian GP opening practice
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