Footage from Kimi Antonelli’s pole lap at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix has brought fresh attention to Formula 1’s superclipping problem, with analysis suggesting the Mercedes driver lost as much as 51 km/h through Blanchimont despite remaining flat-out. The striking drop in speed has reignited criticism of the current technical regulations, particularly on historic high-speed circuits such as Spa-Francorchamps.
There was extensive discussion throughout the Belgian Grand Prix weekend about the effect of the new rules at old-school, fast circuits with long straights and limited opportunities to recharge the battery. Kimi Antonelli’s pole position lap of 1:44.361 was four seconds slower than the 2025 benchmark, while the fastest lap of the race was also slower than the previous year.
However, the lap times were not the only source of concern. Fans could clearly see cars losing speed along the Kemmel Straight and again between Blanchimont and the Bus Stop chicane, even with the drivers keeping the throttle fully open. The cause was the depletion of electrical energy, which triggers the superclipping phenomenon already seen earlier this season at circuits including Melbourne and Suzuka.
Spa superclipping exposed on Kimi Antonelli’s pole lap
Formula 1’s broadcast coverage largely avoided showing on-board footage with the speed display during the sections most affected by the issue. However, Instagram channel Debrief Race published analysis intended to show the scale of the speed loss on Spa-Francorchamps’ two main flat-out sections.
The reference lap was Kimi Antonelli’s Saturday pole position effort, which should theoretically have represented the fastest and most efficient example of the entire weekend. Even starting the lap with the maximum available battery energy, Kimi Antonelli used a significant portion of it along the Kemmel Straight.
According to the reconstruction, the Mercedes driver’s speed fell by 38 km/h while his foot remained on the accelerator. The issue then became even more severe through Blanchimont, where the battery in the #12 Mercedes is estimated to have run out of usable energy.
Despite remaining flat-out, Kimi Antonelli’s speed reportedly dropped from a peak of 336 km/h to 285 km/h — a loss of 51 km/h without any lift from the throttle. The analysis was also supported by ScuderiaFans, whose telemetry data indicated that superclipping was of a similar scale across the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.
Why the 2026 F1 regulations are facing renewed criticism
The footage has created an uncomfortable image for Formula 1 and underlines the difficulties created by the current technical regulations. Drivers have repeatedly made clear that they are far from happy about having to manage such severe energy limitations, particularly when they compromise performance on long, high-speed sections.
The issue is closely linked to the wider challenge of energy deployment under the new rules, which Ferrari and Mercedes have both discussed during the season. The complexity of managing the hybrid systems has already become one of the defining technical themes of 2026, as explained in Ferrari and Mercedes’ assessment of the new power-unit demands.
For the remainder of the current season, there appears to be no practical solution available. That raises understandable concern ahead of venues such as Monza and Las Vegas, two circuits where long, high-speed straights are a defining characteristic and where the visual impact of superclipping could become even more evident.
The Belgian Grand Prix already highlighted how difficult Spa can be for teams trying to balance performance, battery use and straight-line speed. Ferrari’s own weekend ended with Charles Leclerc second and Lewis Hamilton fourth, as covered in our Ferrari Belgian Grand Prix review, but the wider debate over the regulations is unlikely to fade before Formula 1 reaches its next power-sensitive circuits.
Mercedes’ Spa difficulties were not limited to the visible superclipping effect. Toto Wolff later said that a straight-line power-unit problem affected every Mercedes engine at the circuit, adding further context to the weekend’s performance concerns. Read Toto Wolff’s explanation of Mercedes’ Spa power-unit issue.
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