Following the race weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, and particularly Oscar Piastri's strong comments, one topic dominates media day in Budapest: energy management, more specifically the self-learning aspects of the 2026 power unit.
Piastri called it "crap" that drivers can be caught out by forward-thinking algorithms which adapt based on what they learn over time. It means that extremely small differences in driver input can affect energy management later in the lap, but the same applies to factors completely outside a driver's control – such as changes in wind direction or grip levels.
