Spa qualifying highlights power-unit challenges of F1's 2026 cars
Data from this weekend's Spa-Francorchamps qualifying shows slower lap times and altered corner characteristics as teams adapt to the reduced downforce and energy limits of the 2026 regulations.
The pole position at Spa-Francorchamps this year was set by Kimi Antonelli with a time of 1:44.361, nearly four seconds slower than the 2025 pole. Analysis of sector speeds shows the 2026 cars reaching higher velocities on the pit straight and into Eau Rouge, but losing more speed through the second sector due to limited electrical energy deployment. Drivers noted that the iconic Pouhon corner no longer feels like a traditional corner, with reduced speeds throughout the turn.
Red Bull admitted it is still evaluating the optimal energy-deployment strategy, while Williams prepared five different preset maps to cover a range of possibilities. Max Verstappen said most of sector two is run on the combustion engine alone, likening the power output to that of a Formula 3 car, despite the actual figures being higher. The internal-combustion units now produce roughly 540 bhp, less than the 620 bhp of the previous Mecachrome engines used in Formula 2.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella commented that the 2026 regulations have changed the character of long, energy-intensive circuits like Spa, and that further adjustments planned for 2027 and 2028 are needed to restore the challenge of certain corners. The data suggests that while the first sector times remain similar to last year, the second sector reveals the biggest performance gaps caused by the new power-unit limits.