The rear rain light on the 2026 Formula 1 cars has switched from a rectangular shape to an oval design because Formula One Management (FOM) requested additional space for a new low-mounted rear camera. This development expands on tests carried out over the past few seasons. Not every team fitted the device during pre-season testing, but it will be mandatory during race weekends.
During the launch events for the new single-seaters and throughout winter testing, much of the attention was focused on the rear end of the cars, particularly around the diffuser and rear wing area. However, there is a curious detail that many fans will have noticed: on the 2026 cars, the LED rain light positioned at the tip of the rear impact structure has changed shape.
Instead of the traditional rectangular unit made up of 15 LED dots arranged in a 3×5 grid, this year a continuous oval-shaped light has appeared, with the central section once again finished in carbon fibre. This is not a technical revolution, nor is it a change directly linked to safety, unlike the additional lights integrated into the mirrors that were introduced to make a car more visible in the event of a spin.
Today, the light integrated into the rear impact structure — which in the past served exclusively to improve visibility of the car ahead in wet weather conditions — has also taken on an informative role. Its colour can now change depending on regulatory requirements or the team’s specific run plan.
In particular, when the light appears blue it indicates the presence of a driver with limited Formula 1 experience, such as a rookie, or it signals that the team is following a differentiated programme. This was the case for 0 in Barcelona, where the British squad was forced to run at reduced speed due to power unit issues.
But that is not the only informational update. For example, together with the LEDs positioned on the rear wing endplates, the system indicates when the car is in energy recovery mode. This year, those signals will become even more significant because, depending on the type of light displayed, they will also show how the MGU-K is operating.
Before going deeper into that subject — which will be covered in a dedicated article as the new Formula 1 season approaches — it is interesting to understand why the LED rain light has changed shape. There is no hidden aerodynamic breakthrough behind this modification; rather, it is a decision driven by FOM. The new regulations require the installation of cameras in six different areas of the car: alongside the nose, on the chassis, above and on the sides of the airbox, inside the halo for safety reasons, and finally within the rear impact structure to broaden broadcast possibilities.
In reality, this is an experiment that FOM had already been working on for several seasons. However, the limited space inside the rear impact structure had previously restricted the integration of a camera in that area, meaning it was used only on rare occasions. To obtain footage from a lower and more dramatic angle, Formula 1 therefore requested a specific modification: the adoption of a standard oval-shaped light unit, inside which the new rear-facing camera can be housed.
This new camera was not fitted on every car during testing. Some teams simply closed off that area with a carbon fibre blanking plate. Now that the solution has been formally incorporated into the regulations, however, all cars are expected to have it available during race weekends, albeit with certain limitations regarding which camera feeds can actually be broadcast during an event.
In particular, during testing in Bahrain on the 1, it was possible to observe the internal structure as well. Unlike other teams, such as 2, which had applied a protective plate with a small opening, the AMR26 featured that area completely exposed, without any additional covering element.
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