Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): “It really does make you scratch your head…”

Following the changes to the regulations introduced from the Miami Grand Prix onwards, things had quietened down somewhat in Formula 1 regarding energy management and ‘super-clipping’ – the much-discussed recharging of the new generation of engines due to be introduced from 2026. However, following the races at the two historic, high-speed circuits of Silverstone and Spa, the critics’ voices have grown louder once again: charging the batteries proved to be a challenge at both circuits.

George Russell was particularly hard hit; he experienced a battery problem with his Mercedes, fell back through the field and then retired following a collision with his former team-mate Lewis Hamilton. But others also complained about how difficult it was to recharge the engine’s battery on the hilly circuit with its many long straights through the Ardennes. Sometimes energy management is unpredictable.

Engines are so complex!

Charles Leclerc, who finished second in the Belgian Grand Prix, said after the race: “Of course, I don’t know what George’s problem was, but I can only say that things like this happen. These power units are so complex that there are days when you find yourself scratching your head, trying to understand why you’re losing so much speed on the straights.” Even now, teams, drivers and engine suppliers are still struggling to fully understand the engines.

Leclerc: “That was a bit the case for me on Friday and in the third free practice session. Things then went well again in qualifying thanks to a bit of fine-tuning. It’s simply very difficult, but for a driver it can also be very frustrating at times, because even when you’re giving it your all, there are things in the background that are constantly changing, and that’s not exactly pleasant.”

Good news for the drivers – who had plenty of complaints over the Spa weekend – and for more traditional fans: this weekend in Budapest, on the twisty Hungaroring, recharging should happen almost automatically again, and energy management shouldn’t be such a big issue.

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