As the news and opinion continues to drip out from the ‘private’ test in Barcelona, it is becoming patently clear that the new Formula One era upon us will be significantly different from anything before in the history of the sport.
A number of the drivers who have commented on how they need to adapt their driving styles to deal with the huge amount of energy management, given the new F1 power units now have to power 350kw electric motors some three times more output than previously.
This of course will require a significant amount of harvesting and energy deployment and whilst the teams may devise some algorithms to optimise where and when on the circuit this should happen, it will be the drivers who make the final decision.
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Choosing to use “push to pass” coming out of a corner and completing the overtake mid-way down the straight, could lead to a deficit in the electrical power available come the end of the straight. The driver overtaken may then blow back past his rival going into the next turn.
Barcelona gave us absolutely no idea how this will work out in reality, and even the more open testing in Bahrain may well mask how the drivers and cars will behave during a race. Further, each circuit will require a different methodology for harvesting and deploying the electrical power and so for 2026 each team and their engineers will arrive blind at each round of this year’s competition.
Even prior to the test having completed a session in the Mercedes simulator, George Russell observed: “I think you’ll see more overtakes… but more overtakes in obscure locations, in locations where we’ve never seen overtakes before. If a driver’s at the bottom of their battery, and the one behind has more battery in a given section of the track, they can suddenly jump past them at a corner in the past where there would never be an overtake.”
The question is whether this will actually play out during qualifying and racing or where the teams will each opt for similar harvesting and discharging strategies at each circuit. Having discussed the topic following the test with various sorcery, Martin Brundle admits he is “nervous” over the upcoming racing spectacle.
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Brundle argues F1 drivers always been managing something
“I think the challenge hasn’t changed,” notes the ex-F1 racer. “What I’m nervous about is four or five great overtakes in a race is wonderful to see. And over the years, sometimes that was the season. We don’t want a number of overtakes every race that looks like a basketball game score.”
Yet in terms of Formula One drivers having to manage resources significantly when behind the wheel the Sky commentator notes this has been something they have had to do throughout the ages. Speaking at a McLaren media event this week Brundle pondered the matter. “If you’re going to go flat out for a long time, you’ve got to protect things.”
“That’s always been the same, whether it was Stirling [Moss] and [Juan Manuel] Fangio back in the day, or Jackie [Stewart] or Graham [Hill]. Back then, it was dog rings, driveshafts, universal joints, gearboxes in general, engines, suspension rose joints – we were always protecting something.
“Even in the sort of fearsome ’80s turbo days, we had 220 litres of fuel, so we were lifting and coasting brutally through the entire race because that was the only way to get to the end with any kind of performance or fuel left at the end. I ran out going to the line once and lost third place in Adelaide because I wasn’t careful enough.”
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‘Senna & Schumacher would love these cars’
And since Pirelli became F1’s sole tyre supplier in 2011 it has been tyres which became the critical resource to be managed. Following an era of bullet proof tyres leading to processional racing, Pirelli were tasked with creating racing tyres which would degrade and need replacing during a race in order to create some interest through differing team strategies.
“But the best drivers… I actually think Ayrton [Senna] and Michael [Schumacher] would love these cars because they had the capacity to use all the tools. And the people who knew best how to use all of the tools got the best out of the cars.
“I think what’s happened is your universal joints and your brakes and your rose joints protection has now come to your battery, because the cars are now bullet proof in most aspects,” Brundle concluded.
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New graphics for fans to follow energy management
The FIA too are nervous over how things will play out come Melbourne and in April 2025 called an emergency meeting of the F1 power unit manufacturers during the weekend of the Bahrain Grand Prix. F1’s governing body suggested a limiter be placed on the amount of electrical power to be used, suggesting a cut to a 40/60 split in terms of power output with the internal combustion engine.
Yet more than one of the manufacturers refused to accept this proposal, meaning the FIA had no power to unilaterally introduce this regulation – although one source suggested should it prove to be problematic, they will resisted the issue following the initial rounds of the 2026 competition.
For the fans to understand what is going on, new graphics will be introduced as in Formula E, which reveal the amount of electrical energy each driver has at any moment in time together with another that reveals when a driver is deploying the “push to pass” and even when they are harvesting. The graphics may appear at the final test in Bahrain come the 18th February, which will be the first time the fans are offered a full days live coverage of the all new F1 cars.
Williams confess as yet they don’t know what happened to make them miss the Barcelona test
This week, Williams revealed their 2026 livery complete with partners adorning the historic blue colours of the Grove based Formula One team. They missed the Barcelona test last week in what many believe may prove disastrous for the British racing marque.
Missing a pre-season test is usually sign of big trouble ahead and Williams were the last team to do so back in 2019 when they were absent from the first 2.5 days in Barcelona. Prior to this, Force India (now Aston Martin) had a shocker of a pre-season, finding themselves absent from the first two complete tests in Jerez and Barcelona in 2015.
The same year the soon to be defunct Marrusia missed the entire pre-season along with the opening weekend in Melbourne, going on to score no points all year before a name change yo Manor…. READ MORE
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
