Drivers warn FIA Suzuka qualifying tweak could make F1 slower

The FIA’s late tweak to qualifying energy limits at Suzuka has split opinion, with Oliver Bearman warning it could simply make Formula 1 slower.

The FIA announced on Thursday morning that it had reduced the amount of energy cars can recharge during qualifying from 9MJ to 8MJ, lowering the need for energy recovery practices such as lift-and-coast and superclipping.

Oliver Bearman questions FIA Suzuka qualifying energy change

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Lift-and-coast and superclipping have become the buzz phrases in F1’s new energy management era after the sport adopted a new engine formula that relies on a 50/50 split between combustion and electrical power.

It has been met with mixed reviews from drivers and fans as it has changed the way drivers go racing.

They can no longer go full throttle throughout a lap as they are having to lift in areas of the track they’d have otherwise easily been full throttle in order to recharge the battery.

The FIA has taken steps to limit that practice in qualifying at Suzuka, announcing: “To ensure that the intended balance between energy deployment and driver performance is maintained, the maximum permitted energy recharge for Qualifying this weekend has been reduced from 9.0 MJ to 8.0 MJ.”

That, though, has done little to appease the drivers.

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“It’s just making us even slower,” declared Haas driver Bearman.

“On one hand, we don’t have to do any lift-and-coast anymore, which is probably a bit better for us, but we still have to recharge the energy.

“And we spend a lot of time just with no energy, because we’re losing one megajoule compared to what we had on the sim.

“I think there’s better ways of achieving the same thing. If we could harvest at negative 350 kilowatts while on full throttle, I think it would make everyone’s lives a bit easier, but this is also a solution, I guess.”

Reigning world champion Lando Norris is reserving his opinion until after he’s experienced the change.

“It’s different,” said Norris. “I need to go out and drive it first. I think it will eliminate something; it will shift around some other bits.

“I think the thing is some tracks it will work and be a much better thing. Some tracks, it won’t change too much.

“It should be a little bit better here. It’s not like it’s going to change the whole world, but honestly I need to go and drive on track first and understand it.”

It begs the question: is Suzuka – a driver favourite for its high-speed corners – ruined?

“I mean, it’s never ruined,” insisted Norris. “I don’t think you can ever ruin this track. Will it be as spectacular? I don’t think so. It will not be. But it’s still an incredible track to drive.

“There’ll certainly be some places where it just won’t be as… you’ll start clipping into Spoon. That’s one of the quickest corners where you turn in, you’re going in incredibly quick.

“Like, last year, didn’t even brake into Spoon entry…”

Turning to Bearman, he continue: “You did? Yeah, you’ll learn. You’ll learn one day, guys.

“Didn’t even brake. It took a risk. You get to get to that point, and it feels incredible when you’re in quali and you’re pushing it to the limits like that. You know, like Degnar 1, not even a full lift, that kind of thing.”

“So you probably were full lift and down shift?” Norris joked.

“I didn’t think, to be honest, we might just be flat to those corners now, because you’re clipping, and it’s quite a different world.

“It’ll be better now, I think. You’ll see some places are not as spectacular as what it has been in the past, but I think it’s still going to be cool to drive in quali.”

Asked for his thoughts, Bearman replied: “I think some of the greatest aspects of this track might not be as great this year, simply because of the energy constraints and the fact that we have to recharge at Degner One, Spoon.

“Maybe I’ll go faster than last year, actually.

“Just watching the onboards from last year it’s so spectacular. The fact is we’ve lost a lot of downforce compared to last year, which is one thing, and that will be one thing, but in terms of energy we were seeing Degner might be not really a grip limited corner anymore, because it would become power limited, which is a bit of a shame.

“But let’s see. Let’s see how it, how it looks out there on track.”

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