The Ferrari driver assures that energy management has eliminated risk and emotion, you can no longer go to the limit, a small mistake ends up being very costly afterwards. The FIA is studying changes for Barcelona.
The 2026 Formula 1 season has brought with it a deep technical change that is altering one of the purest moments of motorsport: the qualifying lap, the greater dependence on electrical energy has completely transformed the way drivers approach a flying lap, and not everyone is happy with the result.
Charles Leclerc, one of the drivers who performed best on Saturdays in previous seasons, has been especially critical of this new reality, after the Japanese Grand Prix, the Monegasque explained his frustration without filters in front of the media.
"Honestly, the thing is that in Q3 you want to go out on track and try things you've never tried before, take risks you'd never taken before, and that's been the most rewarding thing for most of us in all our careers. And now this is no longer possible," Leclerc declared.
The problem lies in battery management: the 2026 cars depend much more on electrical energy, which forces drivers to think about every move, it's no longer just about braking late or accelerating earlier, but about understanding how much you can spend at each point on the circuit: "Every time you go a little bit over the limit, every time you have a small impact, it costs you energy in the power unit, and then you pay a higher price," explained the Ferrari driver.
This phenomenon has become especially visible on circuits like Melbourne or Suzuka, where there are fast zones that were previously tackled without hesitation and now demand a certain amount of restraint. Instead of attacking, many drivers choose to manage, to lift the throttle slightly or to smooth out their line to avoid compromising the rest of the lap. From the outside, it even looks strange: cars that seem to lose speed at points where they used to shine.
What many fans miss is the essence of qualifying: drivers going at maximum for the whole lap, pushing the braking points, brushing the grass on corner entry, that emotion, according to Leclerc, has disappeared.
Faced with this situation, the FIA has already set to work. During the April break, caused by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, meetings are being held with the teams to discuss possible adjustments to the regulations, there was already a first meeting on April 15, and on April 20 a vote will be held on whether to implement changes or keep everything as it is.
If modifications are approved, several members of the paddock have assured that they would not be seen until the Barcelona Grand Prix, the reason is that both Miami and Canada have a sprint format, which leaves only one free practice session to test adjustments. For now, drivers will have to continue living with qualifying that, according to Leclerc, has lost much of its essence.