Straight Mode Nowhere To Be Found On Monaco Grand Prix Track Layout

Formula 1’s newest regulatory feature will not appear in the track layout for the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix, marking a notable absence at the historic street circuit.
After visits to Miami and Canada, Formula 1 returns to Europe with the iconic Circuit de Monaco serving as the first stop on the continent for the 2026 season.
The Circuit de Monaco has been a fixture on the Formula 1 calendar since the very beginning of the world championship back in 1950.
The 2026 Monaco Grand Prix will feature the all-new 2026 cars and their various new elements, including the newly introduced overtake mode.
However, the track layout displayed on the F1 website shows the straight mode zones as absent from the Monaco circuit map.
At the previous Canadian Grand Prix, the track layout showed three straight mode zones, but Monaco’s layout shows no such designated section for the 2026 race.
There is an overtake detection point entering Turn 17, La Rascasse, and approaching Turn 19, Anthony Noghes, while the layout otherwise shows three sectors and a speed trap heading into the Tunnel section.
The 2026 regulations replaced the long-standing Drag Reduction System, where a flap on the rear wing opened at the push of a button to reduce drag at certain detection points.
In place of DRS, active aero was introduced, bringing two key terms into the new ruleset: straight mode, previously known as X mode, and corner mode.
When straight mode is deployed, both the front and rear wings shift to a lower angle, reducing overall drag and allowing for greater speed along designated straight sections.
When the driver approaches a braking zone, the car re-enters corner mode, returning the wings to a high downforce configuration to support cornering performance.
Drivers can manually switch between the two modes when entering specific zones, and straight mode is available on more straights than DRS was under the previous regulations.
The 2026 Monaco Grand Prix takes place across the weekend of Friday, June 5 to Sunday, June 7, with the race weekend returning to a standard format after two consecutive sprint weekends.
Lights out for the Monaco Grand Prix race on Sunday is scheduled for 15:00 local time, which is 14:00 UK time.
The post Straight Mode Nowhere To Be Found On Monaco Grand Prix Track Layout appeared first on Formula1News.co.uk .