Fernando Alonso has said the algorithms dictating 2026 F1 cars' energy deployment must be "fixed and improved," amid continuing driver frustration with the new generation of power unit regulations.
Under the 2026 rules, the cars' power delivery is split nearly 50/50 between electrical power and internal combustion, with a 'self-learning' computer algorithm critical to deciding how the battery deployment is used throughout a lap and constantly adapting to inputs from the driver.
With deployment already mapped out by software before the race, drivers are unable to 100% control deployment themselves, a quirk of the 2026 cars that has come under criticism from several drivers this season.
Speaking after the Belgian GP at Spa-Francorchamps, arguably the most difficult track for the 2026 cars so far, McLaren's Oscar Piastri lamented a "pretty ***** way of going racing." He said: "It sucks. I can't really say it any other way than that. I certainly wouldn't have been the only person [to complain]."
Piastri added: "When you've got qualifying grids decided by computers behaving or misbehaving, it's a pretty ***** way of going racing."

#deployment #drivers