Lawson Reveals 'Extremely Complicated' F1 Energy System Challenge

Liam Lawson has lifted the lid on one of the most intricate challenges facing Formula 1 drivers this season: the on-board computer algorithms that control energy deployment. The young driver described the system as 'extremely complicated' and still a puzzle even after 11 rounds of racing.

With the new generation of power units, drivers no longer have the freedom to decide when to unleash their 350kW of battery power. Instead, on-board computers learn in real-time how to deploy the energy for the quickest possible lap time. This means that if a driver has a snap of oversteer, is too aggressive on the throttle, or uses too much energy while attempting an overtake, the system factors that into its calculations.

Lawson, who drives for Red Bull Racing, admitted that balancing this with the demands of racing is no easy feat. He even described his experience at Spa-Francorchamps as a 'terrible race' due to numerous bugs and glitches. "We had a terrible race at Spa with a lot of bugs and issues like that, so it is not super fun, but it is part of the new regulations," he told media, including RacingNews365.

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What makes it even more challenging is that drivers have to pre-plan how fast they will be in qualifying to estimate throttle and energy usage, as well as where to harvest energy through regenerative braking. "That's the most basic sort of scenario, and there are many others that happen as well," Lawson added. "There are things that you can do to trigger a bug that happens, and it starts making something else worse, so yeah, it is obviously extremely complicated."

Lawson stressed that even now, drivers are still learning how the system works. "At this point, we're still learning even now how it all works, but it is as you get faster through a weekend, you start using more energy. You almost have to try and pre-plan how quick you're going to be in qualifying to know how much throttle you're going to use, how much energy you're going to use and where you are going to need to harvest," he explained.

This complexity is becoming a defining story of the 2026 season, where new technology is posing a challenge beyond pure driving skill. It also tests teams' ability to optimize their software so that drivers can focus on what matters most: racing.