Key meeting
At the end of the Suzuka GP, in front of the images of Oliver Bearman’s accident, several drivers loudly called for an intervention by the FIA and Liberty Media. The current regulations in these first three races have highlighted two significant weak points. Firstly, the need to manage the available energy has transformed qualifying from the ultimate expression of speed and talent into a depressing spectacle. Secondly, the speed differences between cars in the recharging phase and cars launched ‘at full speed’ can lead to unpleasant episodes like the one that occurred between Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman.
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Toto Wolff stated at the end of the race that he agrees that a solution needs to be studied to improve qualifying and that a meeting is scheduled in London on Thursday, April 9, to discuss any changes to be made to the regulations after what emerged in these first three races.
Although FIA head Nick Tombazis already said after Australia that the Federation had kept some aces up its sleeve to correct the course, in reality the options are quite limited. The ‘mesh’ of the electric cage cannot be widened much unless it is decided to wave the white flag and stop pursuing this crusade for an equal power split between the electric and thermal components of the power units.
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Obviously, a step back of this magnitude could not be expected before 2027, because engine manufacturers must have time to recalibrate or even redesign the power units if it were decided to modify the 50/50 ratio by returning to increasing the weight of the thermal part. In the immediate future, however, it is likely that energy management will be addressed by lowering the maximum energy usage threshold to ensure that overly obvious speed differences do not arise between the cars based on the different electric energy management modes.
