Drivers will have to manage power unit energy
The tests in Bahrain have raised some concerns regarding performance levels for the 2026 F1 cars. In Qualifying, it will be necessary to resort to ‘Lift and Coast’ to finish the lap, and in race simulation conditions, the overtake mode does not seem to allow drivers to easily pass the cars ahead of them.
The doubt is that in these conditions, pure speed may no longer be the fundamental requirement for drivers to make a difference compared to their colleagues. To dispel this scenario, there are the statements of Charles Leclerc: “The foot will be needed as much as before, while a driver’s head will count more than before – the words of the Ferrari driver in an interview given to Autosprint – the factors that make the difference will not change and the foot will always count for a lot.”
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The 2026 cars have pros and cons compared to those of the previous technical cycle: “There is less downforce, but in slow corners the car is much more agile and light. The power coming out of the corners is significant and the active aerodynamics give us a good boost on the straights. The downside is that in fast corners the speed is a bit lower. In any case, the difference in performance levels is not that wide and you still have to reach the limit of the car. A good driver has the duty to find the performance anyway.”
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