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Formula 1 drivers are bracing for power deployment headaches at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Fernando Alonso has warned that for significant portions of the lap, cars could run out of battery charge, causing their power output to drop "below that of Formula 2."
The Ardennes track is renowned for its long straights and demanding climbs, particularly in the iconic first sector, which takes drivers from La Source, through Eau Rouge and Raidillon, and down the Kemmel Straight before braking for Les Combes.
Much like Silverstone, Spa will present a significant energy deployment challenge for the new cars, as there are limited opportunities to effectively recharge the battery during a lap.
Alonso anticipates drivers will be able to utilize their full battery charge in the first sector, having recharged it through the Bus Stop chicane and La Source corner. However, he expects insufficient braking zones thereafter to recover energy for the high-speed second sector.
"Silverstone and Spa are very energy-hungry," Alonso stated ahead of the British Grand Prix. "You can't use the power on all the straights. Next week will be the same. If you use the energy at Spa from Turn 1 to Turn 5, for the rest of the lap, it's all over.""You have to save some to have power from Turn 14 (Stavelot) to the Bus Stop (Turns 18 and 19). But if you use the energy on those two straights, which is the optimal deployment, then you have one minute in the second sector with no power," he explained."And without power, we shouldn't forget that this year we have significantly fewer horsepower than last year and less than Formula 2. That's the case when you stop energy deployment. So, yes, it's a challenge."
Formula 1's V6 engines, without the assistance of hybrid elements, can produce around 540 bhp, while official data for Formula 2 indicates that current Mecachrome engines deliver approximately 610 bhp. However, when F1 cars utilize full power from both the engine and battery, they can reach around 1000 bhp.
It's important to note that F1 cars with deployed power will still be significantly faster than F2 cars. For instance, Andrea Kimi Antonelli's pole position time at Silverstone was 1:28.111, whereas the fastest F2 lap by Rafael Camara was 1:39.690.
Alonso's sentiment was echoed by other drivers, with Spa ranking among the most problematic tracks for power units, alongside Silverstone, Monza, and Suzuka. At Silverstone, Alonso referred to the Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel complex as a "charging station," where corners become zones for battery management.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, because next week we have Spa... maybe Silverstone will seem great in comparison," Oliver Bearman added last weekend.
"I love Spa, but it's going to be painful there, precisely because of the energy, just like it was here," Max Verstappen also commented at Silverstone.
Formula 1 has already taken steps to address the issue for both this year and for 2027 and 2028, by reducing the reliance on energy deployment. Ultimately, the ratio between internal combustion engine power and electric motor power will shift from approximately 50/50 to roughly 60/40.
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