(Motorsport-Total.com) – Even before the race weekend in Spa-Francorchamps, it was expected that the circuit in the Ardennes would be one of the most demanding tracks in terms of energy management. According to many drivers on the grid, the qualifying session that brought Kimi Antonelli the pole position confirmed exactly that.
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Fernando Alonso had already explained that the main problem lies in the second sector, where drivers largely have to manage without using the MGU-K and thus without electric power.
One consequence of this is a painful experience through Pouhon, the fast double left-hander. In recent years, drivers had to push to the absolute limit there, but according to Verstappen, it looks completely different now.
“Most of sector two is driven only with the [combustion] engine. What is that? 450, 500 hp, around that – which, as I estimate, more or less corresponds to what a Formula 3 car has, but with the downforce of a Formula 1 car,” says the four-time world champion after qualifying second for the Belgian Grand Prix.
“So you can imagine that it is naturally not particularly exciting to drive.”
When running purely on the combustion engine and without using the MGU-K, the current Formula 1 power units deliver around 540 hp. The Mecachrome engines used in Formula 2 deliver around 620 hp, which means that Formula 1 drivers actually have less power available in the middle sector of Spa.
However, the comparison with Formula 3 is not entirely accurate, as these cars officially deliver around 380 hp.
Verstappen immediately adds that he would rather not criticize the 2026 rules every week, not least because he feels that his opinion is not appreciated by everyone in Formula 1: Honestly, I don’t want to sit here and complain again because someone outside the door will probably shoot me,” he jokes.
“But as I said, I just mentally prepare myself and try to make the best of it, even if it’s not what I like and not what I love to do in Formula 1.”
“But yes, I could also sit at home and not drive at all, but that doesn’t help either, so I just do my best,” says the Red Bull driver.
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“Pouhon is no longer a corner”
Verstappen was by no means the only one to voice criticism after qualifying. He received support from Carlos Sainz, but also from both McLaren drivers.
Lando Norris had already said in China that fans would no longer see “who has the biggest balls” at Pouhon, and on Saturday he added that the fast double left-hander is not even a corner anymore.
On Friday, he had already pointed out that drivers lose around 50 km/h through Blanchimont. Teammate Oscar Piastri shares this view: “Pouhon is also pretty bad. It’s probably more accurate to now call it a kink in the straight because it’s no longer a corner,” says the McLaren driver.
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“It’s a shame because it has always been a great corner, and for me personally, it was always a good corner. It’s strange to see how different things are this year and also how much power you have on corner exit.”
The latter means that drivers have to adapt from one corner to the next. Accelerating out of a corner with MGU-K support feels completely different than accelerating out in sector two without electric power.
“In many places, we now only have the combustion engine as a power source. So you come out of some corners with almost 1,000 hp and out of others with 550, 600 hp, or whatever it is,” says Piastri.
“Adjusting to that is pretty tough. In a way, it was definitely more demanding, but it’s a pretty different Spa than in previous years.”
Verstappen even describes it as a completely different track: “It’s not just Pouhon, it’s the entire track. It’s a different Spa, but yes, I’m mentally preparing myself.”
The drivers hope that the situation will gradually improve in the coming years. The balance between combustion engine power and electric power is to be adjusted in two steps to finally reach a 60:40 split by 2028.
Read more Formula 1 live ticker: The qualifying in Spa now live!
