FIA announce F1 qualifying change for Canadian Grand Prix

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Canadian Grand Prix

FIA announce F1 qualifying change for Canadian Grand Prix

The FIA have confirmed a new energy limit for Canadian Grand Prix qualifying

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Friday 22 May 2026 14:57

The FIA have confirmed another change to F1's energy management rules ahead of qualifying at the Canadian Grand Prix.

As part of the official event information for Montreal, F1's governing body has set the maximum permitted energy recharge per lap at 6MJ for sprint qualifying and grand prix qualifying sessions at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

That is lower than the 8.5MJ permitted for free practice sessions, and also lower than the sprint and race allowance, where the limit is listed as 8MJ when overtake is not active and 8.5MJ when it is active.

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FIA confirm Canadian GP battery limit

The change is another example of the FIA trying to manage the consequences of F1's new 2026 power unit rules.

This season's cars rely much more heavily on electrical energy than the previous generation, with drivers having to balance deployment, harvesting and straight-line speed more carefully than before.

That has led to frustration from some drivers, with qualifying in particular becoming a key focus. The concern has been that drivers are not always able to attack laps in the traditional sense, because pushing flat-out everywhere can leave them short of energy later in the lap.

By reducing the maximum recharge allowance to 6MJ in qualifying, the FIA is attempting to reduce the amount of energy recovery required and encourage more consistent flat-out driving.

In simple terms, the cars should spend less time trying to claw energy back into the battery and more time being driven aggressively.

Why Canada is different

Montreal is a particularly interesting test case because the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is built around heavy braking zones, traction demands and long straights.

Those characteristics normally give teams and drivers plenty of opportunities to recover energy under braking, but they also create a major challenge when it comes to deciding where to deploy that electrical power and where to save it.

What it means for drivers

The biggest impact should come in qualifying, where drivers want the cleanest, fastest and least compromised lap possible.

If the FIA's change works as intended, drivers should have less need to back out of the throttle for battery reasons, reducing the worst effects of the energy-saving behaviour that has frustrated parts of the grid this season.

It does not mean energy management disappears completely. Teams will still need to map the lap carefully, particularly around Montreal's long full-throttle sections and heavy braking zones.

But the lower 6MJ figure makes Canada one of the clearest signs yet that the FIA is still adjusting the 2026 regulations race by race.

The Canadian GP will now show whether those tweaks are enough to make qualifying feel more natural again, or whether the new era of F1 still has a battery problem it cannot fully escape.

F1 FIA 2026 regulations Canadian Grand Prix Circuit Gilles Villeneuve