McLaren details how Miami Grand Prix technical revisions will restore "flat-out" qualifying intensity

McLaren’s Mark Temple explains how Miami GP rule tweaks will restore flat-out qualifying laps by optimizing energy harvesting and reducing super clipping.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 28, 2026, 11:53 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from PlanetF1

The End of Counter-Intuitive Qualifying Tactics

The 2026 Formula 1 season has been defined by a significant learning curve regarding the 50/50 split between internal combustion and battery power. Under the initial regulations, drivers were forced to "lift-and-coast" during qualifying laps—manually lifting off the throttle and coasting into corners to harvest the energy required for top-end speed on the straights. McLaren’s Mark Temple noted that this practice robbed the sport of its traditional qualifying "adrenaline," as drivers could not push the limits of their machinery. The new technical directive, debuting in Miami, aim to restore the "natural" transition from full throttle directly to the brakes, a fundamental characteristic of high-performance racing that was lost in the season's opening rounds.

Technical Adjustments to Energy Harvesting and Deployment

To facilitate this shift, the FIA has implemented several key mechanical changes to the power unit management software. Most notably, the maximum permitted battery recharge during a single qualifying lap has been reduced from 8MJ to 7MJ. This reduction, paradoxically, simplifies the driver's task by lowering the amount of "super clipping"—where the engine harvests energy at the end of a straight—required to stay within the legal energy limits. Additionally, the peak power for these "super clip" moments has been increased to 350 kW, ensuring that when the car does harvest energy, it does so more efficiently without significantly compromising the car's deceleration profile or driver feel.

Restoring the Purity of the Flying Lap

Temple explained that the new "Straight Mode" logic will allow the power unit to recover energy while the driver remains at full throttle, rather than requiring a manual lift. This means the car will slow down less during harvesting phases, allowing for higher entry speeds into chicanes and high-speed corners. According to Temple, any remaining need for energy management in qualifying will now be "much closer" to the minor fuel or tire management witnessed in previous years, rather than the radical tactical compromises seen in Australia, China, and Japan. This change is expected to satisfy drivers like Max Verstappen, who had previously criticized the 2026 rules for taking the "fun" out of the search for the perfect lap.