Former Ferrari engineer explains how battery charge now defines F1 performance. Ferrari engineer Luigi Mazzola explains how battery charge state now dictates F1 performance.

Italian engineer Luigi Mazzola, who worked at Ferrari from 1988 to 2009, shared his insights with FormulaPassion.it on the new driving approach adopted by modern F1 drivers.

A new way of driving

After the first two rounds of the season in Melbourne and Shanghai, it quickly became clear what drivers meant when they spoke about a different way of driving. Even during initial simulator sessions and post-testing, drivers didn’t hesitate to describe this approach as counterintuitive and far removed from the methods they had learned up to that point.

Over the past two race weekends, numerous statements from drivers have reinforced this view. FormulaPassion.it focused on two key areas: qualifying without the ‘mad lap’ and overtaking opportunities enabled by differences in battery charge levels.

We asked Luigi Mazzola (available on Instagram at this link), who spent 21 years at Maranello in various roles, including head of the test department during the Schumacher era, to share his perspective on these innovations affecting Formula 1 drivers.

Optimizing battery charge matters more than pushing to the limit

FormulaPassion.it: “Engineer Mazzola, in recent days, there has been widespread discussion about criticism of this new F1 regulatory approach. Helmut Marko openly talked about ‘battery-driven overtakes’, Charles Leclerc admitted he can no longer push to the limit in qualifying, and Max Verstappen was even harsher. What do you think of this new F1?”

Luigi Mazzola: “It’s clear that the state of charge – SOC – has become the core element of performance. You have a car with, let’s say, 1,000 horsepower, half of it electric, which you need to use efficiently. If you don’t, you lose power and therefore performance. You need to manage it during the so-called ‘power-limited’ phases – when you can fully open the throttle, typically on corner exits when grip is no longer an issue. Every acceleration on the straights must be supported not only by the internal combustion engine but also by the electric system.

Obviously, given the available ‘electric fuel’, you can’t do this everywhere. You need to recharge in areas where you don’t need maximum power – braking zones, corners, and at the end of straights, where you have to run at full thermal power but simultaneously brake using the electric system.”

Can drivers still make a difference, or are they too limited by battery charge?

Luigi Mazzola: “When it comes to braking, high-speed corners, or flowing curves, the state of charge becomes more significant, limiting what a driver could normally do to exceed limits and make a difference against other drivers, car permitting. Clearly, a driver is restricted and must adjust their driving style to optimize or maximize the battery charge, which then allows them to perform on the straights and ultimately achieve competitive lap times.”