Piastri warns of energy ‘abnormalities’ at certain F1 circuits

The 2026 Formula 1 revolution is no longer theory — it’s a looming test of survival. And Oscar Piastri has issued a stark warning: some circuits will expose uncomfortable “abnormalities” in how drivers must manage energy.

With the new regulations enforcing a 50-50 split between combustion and electrical power, battery harvesting has become a tactical weapon – and a potential weakness.

Over a brutal 24-race calendar, getting it wrong won’t just cost lap time. It could cost championships.

Harvest or Hurt

Fresh from Formula 1’s pre-season tests in Barcelona and Bahrain, the McLaren driver admits the experience has already been eye-opening.

“I mean, from the simulator running I’ve done, it’s very different,” he told reporters in Bahrain.

The difference, he suggests, won’t be evenly spread across the calendar.

“I think at certain tracks we’re going to be much more harvest-limited than we are here,” he added.

“Here, depending on where you set your optimality, you don’t have to do much lift and coast, whereas in Melbourne, I think if you didn’t want to do any, you’d be running out of energy very, very quickly.”

That is a chilling prospect ahead of the season opener at Australian Grand Prix. Drivers unwilling to sacrifice speed through lift-and-coast risk draining their batteries and finding themselves void of energy at key moments.

Circuits of ‘Abnormality’

Some layouts, Piastri believes, will magnify the strain. He singled out the high-speed sweeps of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit as a prime example.

“Again, it just depends on the layout of the circuit. Jeddah is another one,” he added. “Places where you have a few straights linked together by vast corners where it’s very difficult to harvest, that’s where the most kind of abnormality is going to come.”

In other words: long, flowing sections may look spectacular – but they deprive the battery of recovery opportunities.

Drivers won’t be improvising wildly mid-race, either. Much of the energy strategy will be pre-programmed.

“So, yeah, there’s going to be some big differences, but it’s saying that, again, you can change things around a lot,” the Aussie explained.

“We’ve seen people here in Turn 12, you can definitely make it a corner if you want to, and it’s a lot harder than it was last year, but at the moment it’s kind of all set before you get in the car

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“You can change it on the fly, but it’s a bit different because you’re not just managing it on the throttle, let’s say.

“Melbourne is going to look quite different, I think, and it will be a challenge for us all, I’m sure.”

In 2026, racing flat-out will no longer be the norm. Energy, not bravery, could define Formula 1’s new era.

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