🏎️Why Silverstone has drivers worried?

The biggest talking point ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix isn't lap time—it's whether Formula 1 will still feel like the pinnacle of motorsport, especially in qualifying.

Many teams and drivers believe the 2026 power unit regulations have fundamentally changed how cars must be driven at high-speed circuits such as Silverstone.

The new regulations almost triple the electrical power available from the MGU. On paper, that promises faster, more efficient cars. In practice, it creates a new limitation: energy.

The battery can only recover significant energy under braking. At circuits with frequent heavy braking zones, such as China, Canada and Miami, that isn't a major issue. Silverstone is the opposite. Its flowing layout offers few opportunities to recharge, making electrical energy a scarce resource.

A fully deployed battery can be depleted in roughly 11 seconds. Once that happens, drivers face three choices: continue with almost 500 bhp less, lift and coast to recover energy, or recharge the battery directly from the internal combustion engine—a process known as superclipping.

This is where the new regulations become controversial. Even with the throttle fully open, the car begins to rapidly slow down because engine power is diverted to recharge the battery instead of driving the rear wheels. The driver is still flat on the throttle, but the car is decelerating massively and even downshifts are required.

Lando Norris summed it up perfectly after Japanese GP earlier in the season:

For decades, Formula 1 drivers have chased the limits of tire grip, aerodynamic downforce and their own ability. Under the 2026 regulations, they are increasingly forced to drive to the limits of the power unit instead—managing battery energy rather than extracting maximum performance from the chassis.

That's why Fernando Alonso joked that some of Silverstone's fastest corners could become charging stations.

Here is how Lewis Hamilton described the particular challenge facing Ferrari drivers at Silverstone:

After scoring two points in Australia, Gabriel Bortoleto has finished P11 in each of the last three Grands Prix. Audi have had the pace. They haven't had the results.

Before Austria, Audi became the first team to introduce a major internal combustion engine upgrade under the 2026 regulations.

More importantly, both cars finally launched cleanly off the line. Until Austria, poor starts had repeatedly cost Audi several positions before Turn 1. One paddock theory is that the team's decision to run one of the largest turbochargers on the grid has made low-speed power delivery difficult under the new regulations. Austria suggests they may finally have found a solution.

Silverstone is another reason for optimism. Last year, when the team still raced as Sauber, Nico Hülkenberg stunned the paddock with a podium finish. If Austria wasn't a one-off, Audi could finally start turning speed into points.

George Russell has a reputation for applying psychological pressure as well as delivering on track. During the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, several Italian media outlets accused him of trying to unsettle rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli.

After taking pole position, Russell responded with an unusual radio message: "Stai calmo, stai calmo" — Italian for "Stay calm." Whether it was aimed at his engineer, the Italian media, or Antonelli himself is open to interpretation, but it quickly became another talking point in the growing Mercedes rivalry.

Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes the pressure is firmly on Antonelli.

Beating George Russell at his home Grand Prix in front of a record crowd of nearly 600,000 fans would be the biggest statement of Kimi Antonelli's Formula 1 career—and a major step towards becoming Mercedes' future team leader.

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