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Formula 1 has revealed the updated Monza track map for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix, showing how the new Straight Mode and Overtake Mode systems will operate at one of the fastest circuits on the calendar.
The 5.793km Temple of Speed features two main Straight Mode zones, giving the new-generation cars the opportunity to switch into their low-drag active aero configuration across some of Monza’s fastest sections.
One covers the long run from Turn 7 towards the Ascari sequence, while the other is positioned on the start-finish straight, where outright speed has always been a defining factor at Monza.
Straight Mode is part of Formula 1’s new active aerodynamics system. The front and rear wing elements move into a lower-drag configuration in designated sections, helping the cars accelerate towards their maximum speed. Unlike the former DRS system, it is not restricted to a chasing driver within one second of the car ahead.
The same system has already played an important role at circuits such as Barcelona and Miami.
The updated map also confirms the Overtake Mode detection point in Sector 3, on the approach to Turn 11, with the activation point positioned around the exit of the final corner.
That placement is particularly significant at Monza. A driver who stays within one second of the car ahead at the detection point can gain access to Overtake Mode on the following lap, providing additional electrical capability that can help sustain a higher speed for longer.
With activation coming before Monza’s enormous main straight, drivers could combine Overtake Mode, Straight Mode and the slipstream to build an attack into the heavy braking zone at Turn 1.
Few circuits place as much emphasis on straight-line efficiency as Monza, making the 2026 Italian Grand Prix an especially interesting test of Formula 1’s new overtaking system.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.