Energy management has overturned qualifying as we knew it, devaluing the drivers’ ability to push the car to the limit. The FIA and the teams will discuss what to do, starting from the analysis of what has been observed on track. The first three Grands Prix have shown that the problem stems from a use of brake and accelerator completely different from the past, which is why, in addition to clipping on the straights, attention must be paid above all to cornering dynamics.
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Braking less and less
An excellent summary of the qualifying situation was offered by Lando Norris on the eve of the Chinese Grand Prix, reflecting on the differences with the past: “We used to drive like we’ve always done our whole lives: brake and throttle. In general, using the throttle more and more and the brake less and less, that kind of thing. [Now], for the first time in our lives, we are driving in a completely different way.”
The world champion emphasized two crucial phases of driving: acceleration and braking. Starting from the second, Formula 1 is experiencing a paradoxical scenario in which there is less braking despite the cars going slower in corners than before, having less grip. Brembo estimates suggest that in the first three Grands Prix, the average time the braking system was used dropped from 13.7% in 2025 to the current 12.7%. The worst case is Suzuka, where the reduction was 2%, going from 10.4 to 8.9 seconds per lap.
Drivers no longer have the same opportunities to make a difference under braking. Especially in fast and close corners, they are no longer approached by braking, but sometimes it is enough to lift off to send the electric motor into 350 kW recharge, slowing the car down. To solve the problem, battery charging should be regulated differently, intervening on energy and/or power. A possible solution would be to limit the energy that can be accumulated each lap, so as to reduce recovery phases outside of braking. At the same time, it would be appropriate to review the dynamics with which charging occurs, perhaps banning it in phases where both pedals are released, so as to discourage lifting off the gas to recover energy.
Battery too tied to the accelerator
The other big problem in qualifying is the corner exit. Leclerc has repeatedly stressed how taking risks no longer pays off, as pushing to the limit and playing with the accelerator confuses the energy management software. Even if you go faster in the corner, on the following straight you lose more time than you gained, as the management of electric power is now disrupted. Part of the responsibility lies with the delivery rules, which require the electric motor to be used at at least 200 kW for 1 second as soon as the driver presses the accelerator to 100%.
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From time to time, however, the FIA can grant a waiver in some corners and in Suzuka the benefits were felt. “In the first part of the lap you are at the limit, but then from turn 6 you can no longer push because you have to manage the battery”, Hamilton commented after qualifying in Japan. The reference to turn 6, at the end of the snaking section, is not accidental, since the pre-event notes excluded the sections between turns 3-6, 8-9 and 13-14 from those where it was mandatory to activate the electric motor when returning to the gas. The cure could be precisely to decouple the first moments of accelerator use from battery exploitation, but there would be no lack of contraindications.
Watch out for side effects
By following this path, we could reach the extreme case where the hybrid would be reduced to providing a simple additional boost on the straight or even in some predefined activation zones, as with the old DRS. By doing so, however, Ferrari-powered teams would benefit more than the competition, enjoying a smaller turbo that guarantees more torque and responsiveness in the traction phases. Conversely, other engine manufacturers have designed their power units conceiving the electric motor as a power buffer, i.e., as a tool for assistance at low revs to compensate for the lack of boost from the thermal part due to turbo lag. Limiting the zones of hybrid use would also distort the basic concept of the new power units and introduce a further problem. In the more technical sections, without the electric boost, acceleration would be less, arriving at the corner with less speed and further reducing the use of the brake.
Finding a solution will not be easy and above all it will be a matter of compromise, having to accept the lesser evil. Improving the qualifying situation, however, is a must since, in addition to holding drivers back from expressing themselves at their best, it also makes it difficult to judge the chassis qualities of the various cars. After Australia, Norris even refused to comment on his harmony with the MCL40, not having had a chance to evaluate it yet: “To be honest, it’s still very early to say and it’s [a situation] quite different, because you’re no longer driving the car to the limit, but you’re driving the power unit.” The cancellation of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia has provided precious time to work on it and it will be appropriate to make the most of it.
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