Jean Alesi believes Formula 1\u2019s fastest drivers, such as Max Verstappen, are being held back by the sport\u2019s growing reliance on battery management.<\/p>\n
After all, they just want to go flat-out through every corner and not have to manage their batteries over a full lap to minimise time loss.<\/p>\n
Jean Alesi says Max Verstappen affected by battery management limits<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n Verstappen<\/a> has been one of the biggest critics of Formula 1\u2019s new \u201canti-racing\u201d formula \u2013 as he puts it.<\/p>\n Battery harvesting and super clipping have become the norm for the drivers, meaning they are not full on for an entire lap. They have to even back off in qualifying \u2013 a single lap \u2013 to harvest battery power.<\/p>\n With management more important than speed, Alesi reckons today\u2019s regulations \u2013 with the 50\/50 engine split in combustion and electrical power \u2013 are negatively impacting the fastest drivers.<\/p>\n Drivers such as Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.<\/p>\n More on F1<\/p>\n F1 facts that sound fake: Schumacher gives Ferrari a fright, record McLaren grid penalty<\/a><\/p>\n 20 years on: Michael Schumacher and Ferrari last hoorah; Alonso\u2019s unwanted title milestone<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cMax is struggling a lot at the moment, really struggling, because you see the system they have now with the car, the way they operate the throttle, they have less electric power,\u201d he told Racingnews365.<\/p>\n \u201cIs it, at the moment, right now, the point where the fast drivers are more in trouble than the other ones? <\/p>\n \u201cMaybe, because you see the qualifying here [in Japan], Max and Charles, they have been faster in every corner, but slower at the end of the lap time.\u201d<\/p>\n But while Leclerc has still been able to fight at the front during the grands prix thanks to Ferrari\u2019s epic starts, Verstappen and his new teammate Isack Hadjar have had issues with the Red Bull-Ford engine\u2019s launches.<\/p>\n Losing positions off the line, Verstappen has not held back in his thoughts on the new engine formula. <\/p>\n Aimed more at the regulations than his own team\u2019s performance, Verstappen has called the new engines \u201cMario Kart\u201d with \u201cmushrooms\u201d boosts.<\/p>\n Alesi appreciates the honesty, as he feels it will drive Red Bull-Ford forward.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just more on the engineers\u2019 side,\u201d Alesi continued. \u201cThe maximum he can do now is just to stay quiet and to let the engineers make the improvements. It\u2019s the only thing he can do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely,\u201d he said of the driver\u2019s honesty. \u201cHe is pushing the team. It doesn\u2019t mean that you are against the team.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a driver, of course, you push your team. He cannot go to a press conference and say: \u2018my team is fantastic, my car is fantastic, everything is perfect\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has to say: \u2018the engine has to be like that, the aero at the moment is this direction, we have to change the direction\u2019. That is not a critique. It\u2019s a message for improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n