Formula 1 drivers will have their top speed potential pegged back at the Monaco Grand Prix as the result of energy deployment restrictions imposed for the street track, The Race can reveal.
The tight and twisty layout of the Monte Carlo circuit will deliver a very different experience compared to other venues, where problems have been more about there not being enough energy available.
Monaco is at the other extreme – with the short straights, heavy braking zones and slow speed corners being the perfect stomping ground for the current generation of cars.
There should be few problems in harvesting energy, which means there will be plenty of power on tap and without long straights to drain the battery.
But this characteristic has triggered a different type of headache, with the potential for maximum power deployment leading to safety concerns because it can make the cars too quick for the layout.
Higher top speeds means cars arrive at corner entries much faster. This is one of the factors that prompted the FIA decision not to have any straight mode activation zones.
To further help minimise the risk of trouble, the FIA is mandating for Monaco the use of a different engine mode setting that limits maximum power deployment on the straights.
As our exclusive image shows, the engine map known as ‘Rev 1’ means that maximum deployment of the MGU-K has to start tapering off from its 350kW cap at 200km/h.
This is much lower than the standard mode setting – known as ‘Base’ – which begins restricting maximum deployment from 290km/h.
The ‘Rev 1’ setting for Monaco means that the cars will not be allowed to run any battery deployment once they are up to 300km/h.
With overtake mode still in play for Monaco, that engine mode sees the reduction rate reduced less aggressively – with the offset ending up with drivers who have it activated to having 150kW at 300km/h.
It then tapers off more dramatically to be at zero deployment by 310km/h.
No silly lift and coast
The restrictions that are being imposed for Monaco come with the venue having the shortest power limited distance of the season.
These are areas of the track where mandatory power-reduction rates have to be used by drivers.
Monaco’s power limited distance of 1388 metres is a fraction of what F1 is going to experience at venues like Spa (4594m) and Monza (4218m).
Here are the tracks where the power limited distances are the shortest this season.
Top 10 shortest power limited distances
1. Monaco 1388m
2. Hungaroring 1885m
3. Mexico City 2101m
4. Singapore 2185m
5. Interlagos 2278m
6. Zandvoort 2411m
7. Barcelona 2440m
8. Montreal 2682m
9. Austin 2847m
10. Red Bull Ring 2923m
While the extra power restrictions because of the ‘Rev 1’ mode means cars will not be running at maximum potential on the straights, the expectation is still that the venue will show off the 2026 regulations at their best.
Drivers anticipate that, after the annoyances over end of straight speed drops off and extreme harvesting tactics needed so far this year, Monaco could be one of those places where things are as natural as they were in the past.
Haas driver Ollie Bearman said: “Maybe they’ll be a bit more fun to drive! That could be nice.
“I don’t think there’s really much opportunity to innovate in terms of energy in Monaco, just because of the limits with the speed, it’s very early in Monaco for obvious safety reasons.
“But I think it’s just going to be a bit more like last year, where we can just drive how we want, use the gears that we want, and not have to do any silly lift-and-coast and these things.
“I’m actually quite looking forward to it. It should be good.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc echoed Bearman’s thoughts about a weekend where the focus was back on intuitive driving.
“I think Monaco is actually going to be one of those races where these cars might be very good,” he explained.
“First, we have now lighter cars, which for a track like Monaco, I think this has its benefits.
“The electric side is going to be a lot less big in Monaco, just because we’ll be recharging quite a bit with all the corners that there are. So I think, yeah, I’m quite excited for Monaco. I think it should be a good track for these cars.”
