The championship enters a radically different era next year with new power units, revised chassis regulations, and the introduction of fully active aerodynamics replacing the long-used DRS system.
With so much already changing, the FIA has acknowledged that the terminology initially attached to the new systems risked making the ruleset even harder to follow.
That has prompted a fresh review of how several core elements are named, building on earlier decisions to abandon terms such as X-mode, Y-mode and, more recently, the straightline and cornering mode labels teams had shortened to SLM.
FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis said clarity must sit at the centre of how the new technology is communicated to the public.
“We are revising some of the terminology because we want to make it clear and we want to make it simple for the fans to understand what’s happening,” Tombazis said.
“We want to have a unified terminology used by the teams when they speak to the drivers on the radio, but also by the commentators on TV, and also the same terminology in the regulations.
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“So we are doing an exercise now to make sure that we create simple terminology.”
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One of the clearest changes involves Manual Override Mode, the hybrid-boost mechanism intended to replace DRS.
The system was quickly reduced to the acronym MOM after its initial announcement, with both the name and shorthand widely viewed as confusing and misaligned with the simplified terminology the FIA wants.
It is expected to be rebranded simply as overtake mode, while a separate term such as boost mode may be used for standard battery deployment on straights.
The active aero system — first introduced as X-mode and Z-mode, then reworked as straightline and cornering modes — is also set for a more streamlined label.
With all cars running the same high-downforce configuration in corners and low-drag configuration on the straights, officials believe there is little point in formally distinguishing between settings.
A single descriptor, active aerodynamics, has emerged as the preferred approach, reflecting the system’s function without adding layers of terminology that have already shifted several times.
Tombazis said the process was still active, noting ongoing collaboration across stakeholders.
“I don’t want to get into the exact [details of] what each one of these terms will be now, because we are also collaborating with some other stakeholders on that.
“But we are looking at that.”
The FIA and F1 have consulted teams, broadcasters and fan groups on the final naming, with confirmation expected before the end of the year.
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