FIA increases per-lap recharge capacity for Chinese Grand Prix

Haters may stay mad, but race 2 will demonstrate that one of the great innovations of the 2026 Formula 1 regulations is that the greater emphasis on electric power enables more ways to fine-tune the competition via the rules. Race 1 was objectively great despite being on one of the most extremely energy-constrained tracks of the year, so I’m excited to see how things go in a place with more braking and shorter straights.

The rules on energy harvesting and deployment are among the first FIA documents to come out each race week, and they contain a few stats that make the rationale clear. One is the “power-limited distance,” meaning the amount of the lap where the cars are accelerating or at top speed and deploying electrical energy. Shanghai’s is 0.4km less than Melbourne’s despite the circuit being 0.18km longer. Drivers are on the brakes more — and harder — throughout the lap. Correspondingly, all of the recharge and deployment limits, both for qualifying and the race, are significantly more generous.