Wrong revolution
The 2026 Formula 1 season has now reached its halfway point, but discussions about the technical regulations introduced this year – which will already be changed in the next two seasons – still occasionally resurface, causing purists and almost all drivers to frown. The focus is always on the excessive management these cars – and especially these power units – require, which in some cases prevent drivers from relying on their instinct, at the cost of losing time on the lap. Everything revolves around achieving the best possible delivery of the electric energy from the power unit.
The betrayed rule
In an interview given to the Autocar podcast during the Goodwood Festival of Speed weekend – a true Mecca for motorsport enthusiasts – it was Alpine’s French driver Pierre Gasly who explained which driving limitations imposed by this technical regulation bother him the most: “When you manage to use all the power exiting a corner, it’s a unique feeling, something I will never get tired of – Gasly explained – now, regarding this year’s battery issue – I don’t want to go into too much detail because I’m not a big fan – but I think it has gone a bit too far, because now we really have a lot to manage. You have to drive efficiently, which doesn’t necessarily mean going as fast as possible in every corner“.
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A complaint that has already been raised by many drivers and that Gasly explained as a sort of violation of the most ‘sacred’ rule taught to kids as soon as they first get their hands on a kart steering wheel: “If you ask me, since I started karting at six years old, there has been only one rule: when you’re behind the wheel, go as fast as possible through the corner. I think that’s how it should be. [Now instead in F1] there is a sort of management and understanding of which corners should be tackled at 100% and in which it’s better to keep a certain safety margin in driving and in how you re-accelerate to get a better lap time”. Not exactly ideal for those who want to always push at all costs.
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