Overview
- The FIA, which announced the tweak Thursday, lowered Suzuka’s qualifying recharge cap from 9.0 MJ to 8.0 MJ.
- The adjustment followed talks with all teams and secured unanimous support from every power unit manufacturer.
- Drivers said the higher cap warped laps by forcing lift-and-coast, superclipping, and lower-gear choices, rather than flat-out driving.
- Recharge is the energy a hybrid car can harvest each lap under braking or when the driver lifts off the throttle, which shapes how the battery boosts speed later on the straight.
- Early reaction was cautious, with Charles Leclerc calling the step modest and Oliver Bearman warning it could slow laps, while the FIA framed it as a minor 2026 refinement with race-day changes still more complex.