Formula 1 has reduced the allowed energy recharge per lap for Saturday qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix, a change that has been broadly welcomed by drivers. All five power unit manufacturers—Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull‑Ford, Audi and Honda—agreed with the FIA to lower the qualifying recharge limit from 9.0MJ to 8.0MJ for the Suzuka weekend.
The tweak aims to curb so‑called super clipping and excessive lift‑and‑coast on fast laps, where teams harvest energy late on straights and slow the car before corners. By cutting the permitted recharge, organisers hope drivers can attack corners more naturally and carry more speed into braking zones. The new 2026 power units have already altered driving styles: while lift‑and‑coast and deliberate super‑clipping have helped create more overtaking, many drivers feel qualifying should allow a closer, flatter push to the car’s limit.
The FIA said it is continuing to work with teams and manufacturers on energy‑management evolutions and that further discussions are planned in the coming weeks.
Drivers gave a range of reactions. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc said the change is unlikely to be a game changer but welcomed a reduction in lift‑and‑coast, which should be a positive for the driver. Lewis Hamilton noted that simulator work had required a lot of lift‑and‑coast, which is unpleasant to execute on a qualifying lap, so the reduction is a welcome relief. Lando Norris said he needs to feel it on track first; he expects the tweak to remove some undesirable behaviours and shift others, with the benefit varying by circuit—Suzuka should see some improvement but it won’t completely transform qualifying.
George Russell described the adjustment as a small detail: teams can recover less energy per lap so drivers must be wiser with usage. He suggested the likely effect is slightly lower mid‑straight speeds but higher speed at the end of the straight into the corner. Max Verstappen, who has claimed the last four Suzuka poles, has not yet tested the setting on the simulator but said he hopes it will allow a lap closer to flat‑out.
Not everyone believes the change helps all teams. Haas driver Oliver Bearman argued that the reduction could make his team relatively slower: while they might benefit from doing less lift‑and‑coast, the lower recharge means more portions of a lap with no available battery energy. He suggested alternative technical approaches could achieve the goal differently but acknowledged the rule tweak is at least a partial solution.
Several drivers echoed Leclerc’s view that further adjustments to qualifying procedures and energy rules may still be needed to restore the full flat‑out Q3 feeling. Early races under the new regulations required more energy management in qualifying than the all‑out runs of previous seasons, and teams want more fine‑tuning so drivers can push to the true limits.
F1 heads to Suzuka for practice, qualifying and the race across Friday to Sunday. The qualifying energy limit cut is expected to modestly reduce peak mid‑straight speeds while allowing higher corner entry speeds; teams and drivers will judge the real impact once cars settle on track.