Overview
- The revised 2026 power units rely on battery output for roughly half of propulsion, forcing continuous energy management and altering racecraft.
- Melbourne’s season opener logged 125 recorded position changes versus about 45 last year, fueling arguments over whether the action reflected genuine overtakes.
- Formula E co-founder Alberto Longo said F1 is making a mistake by edging toward an electric‑style concept and urged it to stay true to full‑power, late‑braking principles.
- Longo contrasted Formula E’s sustained Attack Mode with F1’s new battery behavior that can drop power on straights, and he predicted F1 will study Formula E and recruit its technical talent.
- Former Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko called Melbourne’s exchanges “just passing” rather than classical overtakes and labeled the rules overly complicated, with the upcoming Shanghai round seen as an early litmus test.