Wurz: “The first half of the season will be crazy. And the power unit case could decide the World Championship”

The revolution in F1 Formula 1 is preparing to experience one of the most important regulatory revolutions in its history: there are just a few days left until the start of a new era, after which it will be possible to outline a very first hierarchy between the teams that have best interpreted the technical innovations. Everything will change – power unit, chassis, car concepts, tires – and the driving style will also be changed, with the drivers having to be very good at energy management. And according to the president of the GPDA (the drivers’ association) Alexander Wurz we will have to get used to “incredible scenes” at least in the first part of the season. Wurz’s words “The first half of the season, in particular, could be extremely interesting with the new energy management system”, these are the Austrian’s words to his compatriots from Kronen Zeitung. “Incredible scenes could occur. It is possible to gain more than a second in various curves and sectors.” In every technical cycle, the much sought after initial advantage depends a lot on the interpretation of the regulations, as happened for example with the Brawn GP in 2009. The power unit case involving the Mercedes engines could, for the Austrian, already be a decisive factor for the fate of the 2026 championship: “We are talking about 10-15 horsepower, which translates into three or four tenths of a second per lap. Even a high-level driver couldn’t beat a poor one, if things were the same so this could decide the world championship.”