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The FIA has confirmed that four straight-mode zones will be in place at the Hungaroring for this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest.
Hungary will host the 11th round of the F1 2026 season, and the final race before the summer break, this weekend.
FIA confirms four active aero zones for Hungarian Grand Prix
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The race falls seven days after the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, where the debate over the divisive F1 2026 rules reignited.
Among the changes for this season was the introduction of active aero, which has partially replaced the previous DRS system.
Active aero allows drivers to open the front and rear wings on the straights in order to reduce drag.
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As reported by PlanetF1.com, the FIA raised eyebrows by deciding on five SM zones – the most since the opening race in Australia – for Spa last weekend.
A revised track map for the Hungaroring has confirmed that four active aero zones will be in place this weekend.
As in the DRS era, the first two zones will be located on the start/finish straight and the straight between Turns 1 and 2.
A new addition will see SM activated on the uphill climb towards Turn 4, the fast left-hander.
SM will also be available on the short straight between Turns 11 and 12, the slow right-hander in the final section of the lap.
The detection point for the new overtake mode, which gives drivers an energy boost when within one second of the car ahead, will be located on entry to the final corner, with the activation point on exit.
The amount of SM zones has varied from race to race in 2026 depending on the layout and demands of each circuit.
Active aero was effectively banned for the Monaco Grand Prix last month due to the tight and twisty nature of the street course.
Red Bull recently encountered trouble with its active aero system, with an airflow reattachment issue with the rear wing blamed for Max Verstappen’s accidents at the recent Austrian and British grands prix.
The Milton Keynes team opted to revert to its previous-spec rear wing in Belgium, where technical director Pierre Waché confirmed that the problematic rear wing has been fixed.
Waché hinted that Red Bull’s so-called ‘Macarena’ rear wing could return in Hungary, although it remains to be seen whether the team will commit to running it in qualifying and the race.
Amount of Straight Mode zones at each circuit in F1 2026:
Australia: 5
China: 4
Japan: 2
Miami: 3
Canada: 3
Monaco: 0
Barcelona: 4
Austria: 4
Britain: 4
Belgium: 5
Hungary: 4
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