Jonas Leo
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium – The recent Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend at Spa-Francorchamps presented a multifaceted challenge for teams and drivers, not least due to the circuit’s inherent demands on energy management. However, a deeper frustration emerged among drivers, including McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, regarding the increasing influence of complex power unit systems on qualifying performance, leading to what Piastri described as grids being decided by "computers behaving or misbehaving."
The Belgian circuit, renowned for its sweeping straights and high-speed corners like Eau Rouge and Blanchimont, is notoriously "energy-starved." This characteristic stems from the limited number of heavy braking zones, which are crucial for the kinetic Motor Generator Unit (MGU-K) to harvest energy. Consequently, drivers found themselves heavily reliant on the internal combustion engine (ICE) through the entirety of the second sector, a significant portion of the lap where the power output was reportedly around 540 horsepower. This figure notably falls short of the approximately 620 horsepower produced by the Mecachrome engines in Formula 2, underscoring the unique energy constraints faced by F1 cars at this venue.
Beyond the specific energy harvesting difficulties, a more systemic issue with the sophisticated hybrid power units generated considerable discontent. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella shed light on the matter, explaining that modern F1 power units, especially those being developed for the 2026 regulations, incorporate self-learning elements. These advanced systems are designed to adapt and optimize energy deployment on the fly, learning from lap to lap and even within a single lap to anticipate future energy management requirements.
However, Stella emphasized the extreme sensitivity of these systems. Minor discrepancies in a driver’s input – a fraction of a second early or late on a button, a subtle variation in braking or throttle application – can trigger substantial knock-on effects later in the lap, disproportionately impacting performance. Moreover, factors entirely beyond a driver’s control, such as fluctuating grip levels due to track conditions or shifts in wind direction, can also throw the finely tuned energy management algorithms off balance.
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This technological intricacy manifested in tangible, frustrating ways for several drivers during qualifying at Spa. Oscar Piastri, the highly-rated Australian rookie for McLaren, found himself at a significant disadvantage compared to his teammate, Lando Norris. Despite both cars running identical power unit settings, Piastri lost crucial time to Norris, unable to reconcile his driving performance in corners with his deficit on the straights. Piastri, who joined McLaren for the 2023 season after a stellar junior career, has consistently demonstrated pace and adaptability, making such an unexplained performance gap particularly vexing for the 22-year-old.
The issue was not isolated to McLaren. George Russell, representing Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, reportedly encountered similar problems. The Briton, a consistent front-runner, was unable to account for the substantial time he conceded on the straights to competitors like Kimi Antonelli, a driver who, while talented, is not typically expected to hold a straight-line speed advantage over a top-tier Mercedes. Russell’s struggles at Spa were part of a wider challenge for Mercedes, with team principal Toto Wolff later revealing that all Mercedes-powered cars experienced power issues at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix.
When questioned by Motorsport.com about the frustration of being undermined by one’s own power unit, Piastri offered a blunt assessment: "It sucks. I can’t really say it any other way than that." His candor highlighted a deep-seated annoyance among drivers who feel their efforts are being overshadowed by machine unpredictability.
Piastri elaborated, asserting that his experience was far from unique. "I certainly wouldn’t have been the only person," he added. "I know George has had a lot of issues with that this weekend, and maybe the last couple of weekends. And speaking to some others, it’s a similar story." The McLaren driver, currently 10th in the Drivers’ Championship with 42 points, underscored the severity of the situation for the sport: "So, you know, when you’ve got qualifying grids decided by computers behaving or misbehaving, it’s a pretty crap way of going racing. Here it’s obviously exaggerated a lot and made worse, but yeah, when you come in from a qualifying session, you look at all the corners and go, ‘I’m on par with my team-mate and yet I’m two tenths behind at the end of it’. It’s not a very nice feeling."
Lando Norris, Piastri’s teammate and currently fifth in the championship with 137 points, echoed these sentiments. While Norris benefited from the power unit lottery at Spa, he stressed the broader injustice. "It’s got nothing to do with you as a driver, really. Sometimes it does and we’re talking about being a few metres early on the button or whatever. It just makes a big difference at times, but there are certain things within your control and a lot of things, way too many things, that are out of your control," the Briton stated. "It’s a shame that there’s so many things that can dictate your own pace in qualifying. It’s not down to the driver. It’s just down to hoping you get lucky that the power unit does what it should do and doesn’t do something silly."
Norris further revealed that his Spa experience was an anomaly in an otherwise challenging season. "Honestly, it’s been costing me the whole year," he admitted. "This is the first weekend, I think, all season that I’ve been competitive on the straights. It’s the first time I’m probably happy. I’ve had the problem this whole season and this is the first race I’ve been the one that’s like, ‘oh, I’m happy in the straights for once’. It was the first time Oscar was the one a little bit on the back foot in qualifying, but it’s also not up to him. It’s just down to the power units doing whatever they want." This revelation underscores that the issue is a persistent undercurrent affecting performance across multiple race weekends for various drivers.
The prospect of a swift resolution appears dim, particularly at circuits with high energy demands like Spa and Silverstone. While Formula 1 is poised to shift the balance between the internal combustion engine and electrical power to a 60-40 split in two stages as part of the 2026 regulations, Piastri remains unconvinced that this will fundamentally address the core problem of unpredictable energy management.
"It’s all to do with just how the systems manage things. The change in fuel flow and the less deployment are not going to fix those specific issues. It has to do with how the engine is calibrated, how the engine learns, it’s kind of ingrained into these engines," Piastri explained. He acknowledged that improvement is likely as manufacturers gain a deeper understanding of these complex power units over time. "Obviously it will get better as all the manufacturers understand the engines more. It’s not just a problem for us or Mercedes, it’s a problem with all the engines, speaking to some of the other drivers. But the fact that it’s even a problem is pretty annoying for more than just myself."
The drivers’ growing exasperation highlights a critical challenge for Formula 1 as it navigates the path towards increasingly complex, efficient, and sustainable hybrid power units. The desire for technological innovation must be balanced with the foundational principle of motorsport: that the outcome should primarily be a testament to driver skill and competitive engineering, rather than the capricious behavior of self-learning algorithms. As the sport moves closer to the 2026 regulations, ensuring driver agency and predictable performance will be paramount to maintaining the integrity and excitement of F1 racing.
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Author Profile
- Jonas Leo is a passionate motorsport journalist and lifelong Formula 1 enthusiast. With a sharp eye for race strategy and driver performance, he brings readers closer to the world of Grand Prix racing through in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive paddock insights. Jonas has covered everything from preseason testing to dramatic title deciders, capturing the emotion and precision that define modern F1. When he’s not tracking lap times or pit stop tactics, he enjoys exploring classic racing archives and writing about the evolution of F1 technology.
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