- FIA mandates a Monaco-only engine mode to limit electrical energy.
- New power limits aim to control speeds around streets of Monte Carlo.
- Circuit-specific rules for 2026 put a unique twist on racing’s crown jewel.
Formula 1’s 2026 Monaco Grand Prix is set to run with an extra power-unit restriction after a fresh report said the FIA will mandate a special energy deployment mode for the street race.
The Race is reporting that the cars will use a Monaco-specific engine map known as Rev 1, designed to limit maximum electrical deployment on the straights and reduce top-speed risk around Monte Carlo.
The move is separate from, but linked to, the already-reported decision not to use straight-mode active aero in Monaco. According to The Race, the concern is that Monaco’s short straights, heavy braking zones and low-speed corners give the 2026 cars abundant energy recovery, creating the opposite problem to higher-speed tracks where teams have worried about running short of deployable energy.
Under the Rev 1 setting, MGU-K deployment begins tapering from its 350kW cap at 200km/h, compared with 290km/h in the standard mode. The report adds that cars will have no battery deployment once they reach 300km/h, while overtake mode would still allow some deployment before tapering off to zero by 310km/h.
No lifting-and-coasting in Monte Carlo
For Monaco, the FIA’s priority appears clear: stop the new-gen cars from arriving too quickly at tight corners where there is little margin for error.
While that may disappoint anyone hoping the 2026 cars would produce more speed on the Principality’s tight streets, it could also make the weekend more enjoyable for the drivers by reducing the extreme harvesting and lift-and-coast seen elsewhere this season.
The big question is whether this limitation makes Monaco cleaner and more predictable, or whether it further reduces the already narrow overtaking window at F1’s most famous circuit.
Monaco is already unusual for 2026 because the FIA has chosen not to designate any straight-mode active-aero zones there. The Race previously reported that Monaco does not meet the FIA’s criteria for safe straight-mode use, including some added concerns around traction, braking, short activation duration and corner-entry speed.
Monaco: Brutally unforgiving
Motorsport.com also reported that the active-aero decision was made on safety grounds, with particular concern around cars going too quickly through the Tunnel exit and other areas with a limited run-off area.
A lap at is 3.337km with 78 laps in the race, which underlines why the circuit remains such a special case: short, narrow, slow by F1 standards, but also brutally unforgiving.
It will all become a bit clearer when teams start running the Monaco weekend on June 5. If the restrictions work as intended, the race will be quick but safe, with limited but some chances for overtaking.
We’ll see. Not long to wait.
