FIA roll out critical qualifying tweak ahead of Japanese GP weekend

One of the main concerns raised by drivers between Melbourne and Shanghai has been the need to manage energy even in qualifying – traditionally the one session where an F1 car is pushed to its absolute limit.

Instead, both in China and especially in Australia, drivers were seen abruptly lifting off on the straights to harvest energy, a tactic that ultimately made them quicker over a lap but sparked clear frustration across the grid.

In response, the FIA has confirmed a tweak for this weekend, stating that the maximum permitted energy recharge in qualifying has been reduced from 9.0 MJ to 8.0 MJ following feedback from teams and drivers.

"Following discussions between the FIA, F1 teams and Power Unit Manufacturers, a minor adjustment to the energy management parameters for Qualifying at the Japanese GP has been agreed with the unanimous support of all Power Unit Manufacturers,” the statement reads.