Why ‘charging station’ Silverstone will be the biggest test of F1’s rules yet

Formula 1’s new-for-2026 regulations are set to face their biggest test at this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, according to several drivers. 

Sergio Perez warned this weekend will prove to be the “biggest test” of 2026’s much-maligned engine regulations, while the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen voiced their worries for what a lap of the iconic Silverstone circuit will feel like in the current generation of F1 cars. 

The high-speed layout of the British Grand Prix venue, which features several traditionally flat-out corners leading onto long straights, is set to expose the limitations of the new cars more than recent races, despite several fixes that were introduced in Miami. 

Asked how he expects the legendary Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel to feel, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso replied: “A charging station”.

The Aston Martin driver added: “I think the next two races are going to be a different experience than what we’ve been used to driving in Silverstone and Spa. 

“This year is going to be very different and not fun to drive the cars. Looking at the simulator laps and things like that it’s going to be quite sad, I think, for the drivers, but also for the spectators.”

Drivers are concerned the challenge of iconic corners such as Copse and the aforementioned Maggotts-Becketts-Chapel complex, regarded as some of the best corners in motorsport, will lose their challenge. 

“It is different. When you have the the derate on the corner, it is a bit worse experience than just at the end of the straights, because your memory used to remember those corners being very challenging, and you feel the G-forces, and you are physically demanded into those corners. And now it's just much slower. So it is different,” Alonso explained. 

“The problem when you derate on the corners is also that your drag level is higher. You have the rolling resistance from the tyres, turning the wheels, so you lose speed by the pure drag of the car, but you lose extra speed because you are turning the car. So it doubles the effect a little bit on the corner.”

Melbourne’s Turn 9 became an early talking point for F1’s new and unpopular buzzword ‘super clipping’ at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, but things could be worse this weekend. 

Asked if things will be as bad at Silverstone, Alonso half-joked: “Wait for tomorrow.”

Cars are immediately expected to start clipping through the first two corners, and between Maggotts and Becketts, given Turn 3 and Brooklands provide the only real opportunities to charge up batteries during the lap as the heaviest braking zones.

And Alonso thinks the specific layout of Silverstone will see teams deploying different tactics when it comes to managing their energy management.

“I think it's going to be different, car to car. I think we could see different energy deployments in different places here,” Alonso said. 

“The first one that comes to my mind is Turn 1 and 2. So we cross the line here, then we need to derate at one point, and from the derate point until Turn 3, that is the first breaking opportunity, it’s a very long way. And you are turning through 1 and 2.

“With those kind of challenges, I think we will see different strategies for each team. We we also have different strategy to try in FP1, deploying more here, less there. So that’s that's interesting in in a way and that's the challenge of this year.”