F1 warned of “potential for disaster” with 2026 cars in Australian GP qualifying

The Australian Grand Prix qualifying session may be chaotic with Formula 1’s new-for-2026 cars, as believed by the likes of Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu.

F1’s revamped power units feature a near-50:50 split between combustion and electric power, which has put much greater emphasis on energy management as drivers need to harvest and deploy energy strategically to achieve the best possible lap times.

As a consequence, some unusual tactics might be used in qualifying, specifically on out-laps, to maximise deployment – even though the FIA has cut the amount of recoverable energy to minimise lift-and-coast tactics on flying laps.

Asked on Thursday whether qualifying might be ‘complete chaos with people tripping over each other, confusion over when people are starting laps and finishing laps, batteries being used up too much, tyres too cold’, Komatsu replied: “Yes, because to charge the battery on the out-lap, certain corners you have to go slow, but certain straights you have to go flat out. But if you’re letting somebody through at the straight where you should be flat out, you’re screwed, aren’t you?

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

Photo by: Paul Crock / AFP via Getty Images

“So there’s honestly lots of potential for disaster in qualifying. But again, this is why practice session for me is so important, to be able to simulate that as much as possible. You cannot go into Q1 and this is the first time you actually go qualifying. No, you’ve got to use some of the FP1 sessions as your quali simulation, not necessarily in terms of lap time, more in terms of operation. And then you’ve got to find out, ‘OK, how much is that going to sacrifice tyre preparation? And what’s the best trade-off?’ That’s a big thing, right? So, it’s going to be a challenge.”

Part of the difficulty will be having enough momentum to start the lap without excessively depleting the battery, with the problem exacerbated by Albert Park’s high-speed nature.

“Here, it will be a big issue,” Komatsu reckoned, insisting: “It’s the same for everyone. Everybody’s got the same issue. But you’ll probably hear lots of drivers shouting, I’m sure.”

The Japanese’s view was corroborated by McLaren chief designer Rob Marshall, who also expects the situation to be “very difficult” to handle.

“It’s very easy to plan ahead,” Marshall said on Friday, “and in previous years you make your plan and it doesn’t really get too upset by what happens 200 yards or 500 yards before the start/finish line, you’d always kind of hit it at the right speed, and you know the amount of energy you had, and didn’t really have to worry about it, but now it’s quite difficult, you need to actually get it bob-on. Yeah, you could get a bit had over by traffic particularly.”

Lando Norris, McLaren

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Williams driver Alex Albon expressed similar concerns following the first two practice sessions: “It’s going to be very difficult. We’re not seeing the worst of it at the minute; it’s already very difficult.

“I think even just on our side, some laps you’re gaining and losing a lot at that time. It doesn’t always make sense behind the wheel, but that’s just part of learning carefully.”

Learning to avoid those potential pitfalls, that’s Komatsu’s ethos too as he insists qualifying mishaps wouldn’t be a mere case of bad luck.

“You say bad luck, but you can only control what you can control, right?” he rhetorically pointed out. “So you’re trying to manage the traffic – but by doing your homework, by doing better preparation, by doing a good operation, then you take away that luck element as much as possible. You cannot completely take it out, but you’ve got to take as much [as possible] under your control, don’t you? That’s the way to reduce the risks. But you cannot mitigate everything.

“So, for sure, there is some element of luck, but you cannot just sit here and say, ‘Oh, it’s about luck’.”

Photos from Australian GP – Friday