Electric optional in almost all corners to improve qualification

The changes to the technical regulations are not the only news for Miami. The pre-event notes also show an evolution in the FIA’s approach to track-specific rules. In particular, the Federation has extended the possibility of not using electric to almost all curves, also increasing in some points the minimum threshold for cutting the power of the hybrid. Finally, the FIA ​​has defined the areas where electric power will be limited to 250 kW, but only for races. Notes for Miami One of the problems encountered in the first appointments concerned the rules for using the electrical part. The regulation, in fact, requires that when the pilot returns to the accelerator, pressing it fully, the control unit must deliver no less than 200 kW of electric power for at least one second, a constraint that links the management of gas to that of energy, preventing pushing to the limit. The same regulation, however, contemplates the possibility of defining for each circuit some areas that are exceptions to this rule. At Suzuka, for example, the teams had no obligation to use the electric motor in the serpentine section of the first sector, a section where Lewis Hamilton later said it was possible to push. The Federation now seems to want to extend this approach. In Miami, with the exception of the first three, almost all actual curves will be exempt from the requirement to deliver at least 200 kW of electric power when returning to gas. In detail, these are the areas from turn 4 to turn 8, from turn 11 to turn 16 and from turn 17 to turn 19, the latter section where the exemption only applies to qualifying. Furthermore, between Turn 1 and Turn 3 and between Turn 5 and Turn 8, the FIA ​​has raised the speed below which the control unit can abruptly cut all the electric power from 210 to 240 km/h, without having to follow the mandatory progressive reduction of 100 kW/s. The hope is that this will help better conserve battery charge, preventing riders from having to lift their foot off the accelerator to save energy. Reduced power in driven As regards the energy recoverable at each lap, the FIA ​​confirms the Suzuka values. In qualifying you can recharge up to 8 MJ per lap, which becomes 8.5 MJ in the race and 9 MJ in overtaking mode. Furthermore, as anticipated in recent weeks, the power of the electric part in the race will be limited from 350 kW to 250 kW in the areas to be tackled with closed wings. In detail, from the pre-event notes we learn that these coincide with the most guided sections, i.e. from turn 1 to turn 8 and from turn 11 to turn 16.

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News
2026-05-02 01:53:00