New F1 qualifying concerns emerge that could bring fan frustration

A Ferrari dives down the inside of a Red Bull at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — Photo: © IMAGO

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New F1 qualifying concerns emerge that could bring fan frustration

Esteban Ocon's comments have led to concerns

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 5 February 2026 15:54

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Haas F1 star Esteban Ocon's comments from the pre-season testing event in Barcelona have led to concerns about qualifying during the 2026 season.

2026 sees wholesale regulation changes sweeping into the sport, with new power units seeing the emphasis on electrical energy being tripled compared to 2025.

This means that drivers will have a greater responsibility to manage their battery during grands prix, with the new energy recovery systems able to recover twice as much energy per lap than last year, as F1 waves goodbye to the MGU-H.

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It's thought that this will lead to more lifting and coasting, a method of releasing the accelerator in order to harvest more energy or, in the past, save fuel, particularly with the new 'boost' mode which allows drivers more energy to either attack or defend if in a close battle on track.

But comments from Ocon about the first pre-season testing event in Barcelona last month have raised concerns that drivers may also have to lift-and-coast during a single qualifying lap, something that may well frustrate fans throughout the year.

Qualifying has traditionally been an opportunity to see cars at their absolute fastest, with fresh tyres, low fuel on board and qualifying modes activated.

Ocon completed qualifying runs at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and quotes reported by Auto Motor und Sport suggested that drivers will need to be managing their battery even during a qualifying lap.

"We have to use lift-and-coast techniques on qualifying runs," Ocon said. "It felt strange at first. But we had already practiced it beforehand in the simulator. After one lap, I had it down. Now it feels strange not to do it.

"We use lift-and-coast techniques so often that you quickly get used to the driving style.

"If you kept your foot on the gas, you'd have to slam on the handbrake at the end of the straight. With lift-and-coast, it's not so bad.

"It even feels faster if you let off the gas beforehand. And it feels natural now because it's the fastest way. But of course, it's completely different from normal."

Ocon continued: "When you start out in go-karts, you're obviously not told to lift off the gas. But I still enjoyed it, and it's still a Formula 1 car.

"Perhaps it's not the fastest way on every track. We'll have to wait and see. But at least for us, it was the way to go in Barcelona."

F1 power unit regulations

With the increased reliance on electrical energy, the 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrids will now have an almost exact 50-50 split between electrical power and the internal combustion engine.

On top of this, the internal combustion engine will be able to be run off 100 per cent sustainable fuels, as F1 looks to reach its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.

These 'advanced sustainable fuels' were already trialled in F2 and F3 in 2025, and the fuel is made from sources such as carbon capture, municipal waste and non-food biomass, to adhere to the stricter guidelines.

As well as these new power unit regulation changes, there are also aerodynamic car design regulation changes sweeping into the sport this year.

F1 2026 regulations Esteban Ocon