Laurent Mekies Calls for Return to True Flat-Out F1 Qualifying

Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies has stated that Formula 1 must urgently restore genuine flat-out qualifying sessions, citing a rare paddock-wide consensus that the current energy management requirements are diluting the spectacle. He advocates for a structural fix by 2027 to return Saturdays to pure, unadulterated speed.

Why it matters:

Qualifying has traditionally been F1's purest expression of speed and driver skill—a single, maximum-attack lap. The shift to complex power units requiring mid-lap energy conservation has turned it into a strategic calculation, robbing fans of the visceral, all-or-nothing heroics that define the sport's most dramatic moments. Restoring this element is seen as crucial for the sport's core identity and fan engagement.

The Details:

• Paddock Consensus: Mekies revealed that teams, the FIA, F1 management, and drivers all agree on the need to return qualifying to a flat-out format or as close as possible to it, calling it the sport's primary current focus.
• The Current Problem: With 2026 power units deriving nearly half their energy electrically, drivers must strategically lift and coast during their qualifying laps to harvest and deploy energy in optimal sectors, rather than pushing at 100% from start to finish.
• The Ripple Effect: Mekies argues that fixing qualifying will naturally improve the racing spectacle on Sunday by reducing the level of strategic "gaming"—managing pace and energy in packs—though opinions vary on how much of this should remain in the race itself.
• Timeline for a Fix: While some, like Max Verstappen, have suggested mid-season changes, Mekies champions a more deliberate approach. He believes the focus should be on designing a proper, lasting solution for the 2027 season, with potential minor adjustments possible for 2026 to avoid disrupting the current competitive balance.

What's Next:

The sport's stakeholders are now tasked with engineering a solution that allows drivers to extract maximum performance from the complex 2026 power units over a single lap without conservative management. Achieving this by 2027 would mark a significant step in aligning F1's technological evolution with the fundamental, speed-first appeal that has always been its biggest draw. The challenge is to ensure the raw, edge-of-the-seat qualifying battle returns to the track.