Overview
- The FIA will not permit any straight-mode activation zones at the Monaco Grand Prix because the circuit does not meet its placement and safety criteria.
- Those criteria demand zones only where cars are not at tyre-grip limits, exclude traction and braking areas, and require each zone to last more than three seconds to avoid short, risky activations.
- Straight mode is designed to cut aerodynamic drag by roughly 20% and can increase top speed by about 20 km/h, a boost that could cause unsafe approach speeds into Monaco's tight corners.
- Overtaking assistance at Monaco will instead use the 2026 power-mode system, with the detection and activation zone placed before the final corner to give drivers an energy boost when within one second of a rival.
- Monaco will be the first 2026 round to run without straight modes, forcing teams to prioritise power-mode strategy and energy management and signalling that wing-opening zones will be limited to tracks with long, low-load straights.