One aspect of Formula 1's 2026 regulations that has become increasingly evident through feedback from the engineers and drivers is the track-dependent nature of the new cars. There's a cast of circuits where drivers won't have to stray too far from their natural driving inputs to harvest energy, and another group of tracks which will make it difficult to charge the battery.
Melbourne fits into the latter camp; since Albert Park was re-profiled ahead of the 2022 season, it has been a much quicker venue; the removal of one of the chicanes on Lakeside Drive changed the transition between the second and third sector into a flat-out stretch with only one braking zone for a high-speed corner.
