2026 Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne, March 06 - 08

[Bill_Kar]

I mean, are the drivers even braking for turns 8/9 after the straight? Doesn’t sound like they are at all.

I'm fairly certain watching the onboard pole lap, that GR definitely did not brake for turn 8.

It was really painful to watch the pole lap, and to imagine that this lap was the best of all, by a good margin.

[De Wet]

I just cancelled my F1TV subscription. I will not be paying to see this rubbish.

[Shrieker]

Wow, they fx¾{#ed formula 1 good, didn't they.


Can always rely on muricans to mess things up royally, can't you.

[CrazyCarperF1]

I get the impression that the drivers have to drive these cars so far below their limit that the skill of the driver is basically unimportant. I imagine you could put any driver in any car and they would basically achieve the same time. Weirdly the drivers seem like passengers to the (process)software.

[Cassius]

Wow, they fx¾{#ed formula 1 good, didn't they.


Can always rely on muricans to mess things up royally, can't you.

Too easy to blame US FOM ownership. Let's not make it a blame game. They have been able to add 3 engine OEMS, while losing 1. Now they need to fix the ICE/battery split.

[101FlyingDutchman]

I get the impression that the drivers have to drive these cars so far below their limit that the skill of the driver is basically unimportant. I imagine you could put any driver in any car and they would basically achieve the same time. Weirdly the drivers seem like passengers to the (process)software.

Bang on. This is not the pinnacle of motor racing. It’s farcical

[avantman]

I mean, are the drivers even braking for turns 8/9 after the straight? Doesn’t sound like they are at all.

Who needs brakes when you’ve got superclipping? They might call it hyperclipping in a year or two to sound even more convincing and progressive as the tech develop further.
Have you ever driven an EV car? You just lift off the throttle and the car does the rest. Brakes are outdated tech just as combustion engines. Let’s keep up with time. lol

[De Wet]

Wow, they fx¾{#ed formula 1 good, didn't they.


Can always rely on muricans to mess things up royally, can't you.

Too easy to blame US FOM ownership. Let's not make it a blame game. They have been able to add 3 engine OEMS, while losing 1. Now they need to fix the ICE/battery split.

That's the whole problem... F1 was much better without OEMS.

[Badger]

Wow, they fx¾{#ed formula 1 good, didn't they.


Can always rely on muricans to mess things up royally, can't you.

European car manufacturers wanted it because of politics (being forced not to sell ICE cars). If Mercedes and Audi had agreed to a better power split we would have had a better power split. FOM and FIA would never have opposed a 70/30 split with sustainable fuels.

The whole thing is a bit of a microcosm of EU politics really.

[De Wet]

I mean, are the drivers even braking for turns 8/9 after the straight? Doesn’t sound like they are at all.

Who needs brakes when you’ve got superclipping? They might call it hyperclipping in a year or two to sound even more convincing and progressive as the tech develop further.
Have you ever driven an EV car? You just lift off the throttle and the car does the rest. Brakes are outdated tech just as combustion engines. Let’s keep up with time. lol

That's what FE is for...

[Frank73]

Wow, they fx¾{#ed formula 1 good, didn't they.


Can always rely on muricans to mess things up royally, can't you.

European car manufacturers wanted it because of politics (being forced not to sell ICE cars). If Mercedes and Audi had agreed to a better power split we would have had a better power split. FOM and FIA would never have opposed a 70/30 split with sustainable fuels.

The whole thing is a bit of a microcosm of EU politics really.

As I have already said, they messed up it completely to foster Audi entrance in F1. Was it worthy?

[Rikhart]

I get the impression that the drivers have to drive these cars so far below their limit that the skill of the driver is basically unimportant. I imagine you could put any driver in any car and they would basically achieve the same time. Weirdly the drivers seem like passengers to the (process)software.

Alonso said they could put the team chef in the car and he could drive it

[erikejw]

Electric deployment rules explained to the average fan.

Alright, Melbourne, listen up! The FIA turned the 2026 car into a $15 million AA battery that’s perpetually having a mid-life crisis. It's simple physics, if physics was written by a caffeinated squirrel.

​The Harvesting:
​You’re basically a kinetic energy hoarder. Every time you tap the brakes, the MGU-K Tax Man screams, "I’ll take 8.5 Megajoules of that!" But if you hoard too much, the FIA forces your car onto a "power diet" at exactly 50 kW/s after 3,518 meters.

It’s like being forced to eat a sandwich one molecule at a time while doing 300 km/h. If you mess up the math in Sector 3, your car effectively becomes a very expensive, carbon-fiber golf cart.

​The Deployment (The "Zap-Zaps")
​Now, for the Override Button.

​Standard Mode: The car gives you a boost, but then it gets "tired" at 280 km/h and starts ghosting you.

​Override Mode: If you’re within one second of the guy in front, you get to ignore the car’s social anxiety and keep the full 350 kW party going until 340 km/h.

​Basically, you’re playing a game of "Red Light, Green Light" with electricity. You spend the whole lap desperately rubbing two balloons together (harvesting) just so you can shoot a single, pathetic lightning bolt before the battery decides it’s had enough and goes to sleep.

​It’s perfectly logical: You slow down to go fast, you lose power to gain speed, and if you use too much juice, you end up pedaling the car like a Flintstone

[search]

Does anyone know how exactly the deployment maps work, or how/why they seem to differ between team mates?

One of the commentators mentioned that it's an AI supported system, which would explain why driving style etc plays a part, but I can't find any details about that online.

[ScottB]

I have to say, I tuned in expecting to hear the Sky F1 crew, specifically Brundle, be, let's say, very negative, about these new rules. 2014, he in particular, went on at length about not liking those engines, not liking the noise etc.

Instead, all positive, even framing the super clipping with things like 'oh he's down shifting now so he can really rocket out the next corner!'

Now, I do think the moaning in 2014 was a bit much, and it makes sense not to have one of your primary broadcasters talking the sport down, but I am left wondering if they've been told, whether by Sky, Liberty or both, that they aren't allowed to moan, essentially...

In general, my view so far is I like the new cars, look good, smaller, more nimble etc, but they need to do something about the super clipping.