![\"Max](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/4c5c2d6d0c01560b4d7d4a22a829846d.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\nRed Bull team principal Laurent Mekies says everyone in the Formula 1 paddock agrees the world championship needs to return to “flat-out qualifying\u201d as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
F1\u2019s new power units, with nearly 50% electrical power, mean energy management has become a key factor of performance. In qualifying, this translates into downshifting and\/or lifting and coasting before corners, and refraining from taking fast curves flat out in order to save energy and deploy it elsewhere.<\/p>\n
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While the new-style racing has generated some positive comments, qualifying has got a negative reception so far as it doesn\u2019t challenge drivers the way it used to.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there is one thing we all agree [on] \u2013 all teams, FIA, F1 and the drivers \u2013 it is that we all would like to see qualifying to be flat-out qualifying, or as close as possible to flat-out qualifying,\u201d Mekies said following the Japanese Grand Prix. \u201cSo, it’s the first thing we are, as a sport, trying to focus on.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then, what will happen then is that once you improve or once you get to an extent to have flat-out qualifying, you will automatically have a race with potentially a bit less gaming.<\/p>\n
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Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Laurent Mekies, Red Bull Racing Team Principal<\/p>\n
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Laurent Mekies, Red Bull Racing Team Principal<\/p>\n
\u201cThe level of gaming in the race you can probably adjust. And there are very different opinions up and down the pitlane on that level. But I think the most important is that we get closer to flat-out qualifying, and that’s what as a sport we try to achieve when we meet.\u201d<\/p>\n
But in terms of timeline, forcing changes through midseason can be tricky unless it\u2019s a \u2018safety\u2019 matter \u2013 as Max Verstappen cheekily pointed out<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cPersonally, I think the focus should be on how to sort it properly for \u201927,\u201d Mekies added. \u201cBecause we are still in time to do enough if we want to address that for \u201827 and have enough flat-out qualifying in \u201827. And then I’m sure there is a number of small things that we can do in \u201926.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, the new F1 cars\u2019 remarkable acceleration means lap times are not far off what they used to be. At Suzuka, Kimi Antonelli<\/a> set pole position in 1m28.778s, 1.8s slower than Max Verstappen<\/a> last year but quicker than the pole times in 2022 and 2023 \u2013 or anytime until 2016.<\/p>\n Read Also:<\/p>\n Red Bull now \u2018paying the price\u2019 for F1 2025 title charge <\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2cc155e163a6dceb3e52d91bfecc1379.jpeg\"\/)
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