Kimi Antonelli warns of F1 'shock' awaiting teams at Australian GP

Mercedes junior driver Kimi Antonelli predicts Formula 1 teams will face a significant "shock" with the new 2026-spec power units at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, citing the vastly different energy management demands of the Melbourne circuit compared to pre-season testing in Bahrain.

Why it matters:

The new technical regulations place a much larger emphasis on electrical energy, with the MGU-K's output now matching the internal combustion engine. This fundamentally changes how drivers manage energy harvesting and deployment around a lap, making each circuit a unique puzzle. Getting it wrong, especially with limited practice time, could lead to major performance swings and unpredictable race results from the very first event.

The details:

• Antonelli, who participated in the Bahrain test, stated that extensive simulator work is now critical to "get the deployment right" for Melbourne's specific layout.
• He highlighted the stark contrast between the six days of testing in Bahrain and the single practice day in Melbourne, calling for teams to be "spot on from the first session."
• The core challenge is optimizing the complex balance between harvesting energy under braking and deploying it for acceleration, a process that is now far more integral to lap time.
• This shift represents a fundamental change in the driver's role, requiring intense focus on energy management throughout the lap in addition to pure car control.

What's next:

The Australian Grand Prix will serve as the first true stress test of the new power unit regulations in a competitive environment. Teams that have best translated their testing data into efficient energy maps for Albert Park will gain a crucial early advantage. Conversely, those caught out by the "shock" Antonelli describes could face a difficult weekend trying to recover performance, setting an early tone for the development race in this new regulatory era.