The new decision from the Federation could shift the balance: but who actually gains from this change?
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile made a surprise intervention this morning ahead of qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix, introducing an important change to energy management for the 2026 power units in Formula 1.
The FIA’s New Decision: Here’s the Verdict
As already reported by GPKingdom, the maximum recharge allowed per lap has been reduced from 9.0 MJ to 8.0 MJ for qualifying, with the aim of limiting the super clipping phenomenon that risked compromising flying laps at the Suzuka Circuit.
The issue, which already emerged during the first two races of the season and is amplified by Suzuka’s layout, concerns the difficulty for cars to maintain electric power deployment throughout the entire lap. The long high-speed sections and energy-demanding corners of Suzuka make energy management particularly challenging, potentially causing some cars to lose power at decisive moments – something that could have distorted performance and sparked further controversy.
It’s no coincidence that several teams flagged the risk during qualifying simulations, with drivers potentially forced to manage throttle deployment in the final part of the lap. A scenario that would inevitably reduce the spectacle of qualifying, already impacted by the new 2026 regulations.
The FIA’s decision therefore represents a compromise between technical innovation and on-track competitiveness. Now, attention turns to how the cars will respond once qualifying begins in Japan.
PLAY – DOWNLOAD THE APP TO PLAY FANTA F1!
Who Really Benefits? Small Advantage, But…
It’s important to understand what changes in qualifying: Mercedes’ rivals could benefit the most, although the advantage is expected to be relatively small.
The Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team has shown in the first two rounds that it currently leads the field in energy management, recovery, and deployment – a key strength that helped deliver strong qualifying performance. By reducing the available recharge, the FIA partially limits this advantage, slightly closing the gap between Mercedes and the rest of the field.
Among those who could benefit is Scuderia Ferrari, along with manufacturers still optimising their power units – particularly Audi F1 Team and RB‑Ford. This won’t completely reshuffle the competitive order, but rather introduce a small rebalancing – one that could still prove decisive when fighting for pole position, where even a few thousandths of a second can make the difference.
Photos: Formula 1
