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EXPLAINED: What do the new lights on F1 cars mean?
F1.com delves into the purpose of the new rear and side lights on the
2026 cars.

24 hours ago
BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - FEBRUARY 20: Carlos Sainz of Spain driving the (55) Williams FW48 Mercedes makes
EveryonerCOs been talking about the raft of technical innovations and
changes for 2026, but one of the easiest for fans to spot is the new
rear and side lights on each car. YourCOll see them flashing at every
circuit, but what exactly does each colour and sequence mean, and why
have they been redesigned?

The Rear Impact Structure light
This is an oval-shaped light located in the centre of the rear of the
car, and for the majority of the time will appear red. A key function of
the RIS will be to indicate energy levels in the power unit rCo if teams decide to lower the maximum power in an attempt to save the battery, the flashing sequence will show the new level.

A single flash means that the MGU-K (Motor Generator Unit - Kinetic) is delivering less electric power than the set maximum of 350kW. Two
flashes denote that it has stopped delivering power completely, and
multiple quick flashes show that the MGU-K is recharging while the
Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) is still running as usual.

This will give any drivers following an idea of their competitorrCOs
energy levels, but the light can be used in a much wider range of
scenarios too, primarily for safety reasons. Among other functions, it
can signal a Safety Car period or a double yellow sector, show that the
engine has stopped on track, or indicate that the car has been fitted
with intermediate or wet tyres.

BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN - FEBRUARY 20: George Russell of Great Britain driving
the (63) Mercedes AMG
The RIS will provide helpful information to any drivers following behind
The new design, which saves around 180g in weight, also includes a
rear-facing onboard camera and can change colour. Currently, it will
turn blue if the driver does not have a full super licence rCo this will
be particularly useful when the rookie running gets underway, as each
team must field a rookie on four occasions in each season during FP1.
There's also potential for more colours to be introduced in the future.

Nikolas Tombazis, FIA Single Seater Director, expanded on the lightrCOs
new role, saying: rCLFirst of all werCOve got a new specification, which
means we can change the colour. That way we can give different messages
to whorCOs following. That will evolve and improve over time rCo itrCOs in order to not just have a single red one.

What the 2026 F1 cars are like rCo according to the drivers
rCL[At the moment] they are intended to give warnings to drivers behind if thererCOs a recharge going on, whether thererCOs a sudden deceleration, and clearly thererCOs also the main function, the original function, which is
in the rain.

"We feel that with the new specification, which can do different
colours, we can provide more information to whorCOs behind.rCY

To make the signal even clearer, the rear wing end plate lights will
mirror the flashing pattern of the RIS, and will always appear red.

2026_Explainer_FIA_Detail12_1920x1080.jpg
The lateral safety lights were added following feedback from the drivers Lateral safety lights
The new lateral safety lights, which have been added to the mirrors,
will be visible from both the side and the front rCo they will rCLonly come
on if thererCOs a spin or an accidentrCY. With F1 constantly evolving its safety procedures, these provide an extra sign that a car has stopped,
and their placement means that drivers should be able see them from all
angles and, crucially, in all weather conditions.

They will be an amber colour and come on either when a car has halted completely, or when the speed has dropped below 20kph. Additionally, you
might see them when a car is stuck in neutral at a race start, but
theyrCOll go off as soon as the driver moves into gear.

rCLThey were an idea by the drivers in one of the driver meetings,rCY
Tombazis added. rCLBasically, they were saying that if a car has spun
around in the wet conditions and is sat laterally, you cannot see the
rear light, because yourCOre on the side.

rCLYou may be an approaching car, and because itrCOs a bit misty, you may
not see it. Therefore, it was proposed that there would be some lateral lights, so this is why we added those lights.rCY

You can see the new lights in action in the video below, which will soon
be a common sight as the new F1 season gets underway in Australia.

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