F1's active aero removed at Monaco GP — here's why

The FIA has confirmed that drivers will not have active aero available at this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, marking the first time this season that Straight Mode has been omitted from a circuit. The decision comes as the governing body determined that Monaco's tight, traction-dependent layout does not meet the criteria required for safe and effective deployment of the system.

Why it matters:

Monaco has long been F1's most challenging circuit for overtaking, and removing active aero risks compounding that reputation. However, with the 2026 regulations bringing smaller and nimbler cars, there was hope that racing would improve. The FIA's ruling suggests that stability concerns outweigh any potential benefit from drag reduction on the principality's short straights.

The details:

• FIA criteria: Straight Mode is only permitted where cars are not at the limit of tyre grip. Monaco's constant braking and cornering zones make activation and deactivation a stability risk.
• Duration rule: Each Straight Mode zone must last more than three seconds to be worthwhile. Monaco's straights are too short to meet this threshold.
• Bortoleto's view: Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto is not optimistic. "It's going to be difficult to overtake in Monaco," he said after Canada. "There is a lot of recharging... The SM will be off, so the effect of the wing is not going to be there. I don't expect it to be massively different from the past."

What's next:

Lewis Hamilton, fresh off his best Ferrari finish in Canada (P2), sees Monaco as a golden opportunity for his first win in red. "That's the one track where power is not king," he said. "If you take away the power deficit, we're in the fight." Ferrari's car may be particularly strong through the slow corners of Monaco, giving Hamilton a realistic shot at ending his win drought with the Scuderia.