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Fernando Alonso believes Formula 1’s 2026 cars could be slower than Formula 2 machinery in specific sections of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, with Spa-Francorchamps expected to expose the limits of energy deployment.
The new-generation cars are not always fastest when driven flat out. Battery management and deployment remain central to extracting performance over a lap, a compromise that has already created problems at power-dependent circuits. Spa’s long straights, particularly the run from Eau Rouge towards Les Combes, are likely to intensify that weakness.
The circuit’s demands are outlined in the updated 2026 Belgian Grand Prix track map, which highlights the importance of the track’s straight-line sections and energy-sensitive zones.
Alonso said Spa could produce a repeat of the deployment issues seen at Silverstone, where drivers were unable to use electrical power on every straight.
“Silverstone and Spa, they are very thirsty on energy, and you cannot deploy in all the straights,” Alonso told media, including Motorsport Week. “Next week, it’s going to be the same thing. If you deploy at Spa from Turn 1 to 5, finito for the rest of the lap.”
The Aston Martin driver explained that competitors may need to conserve energy early in the lap to ensure deployment is available for the run from Turn 14 to the Bus Stop. Using it on the two most obvious straights, however, could leave the car without electrical assistance through an extended section of the circuit.
“There is a one-minute Sector 2 with no deployment at all,” Alonso said. “And with no deployment at all, we cannot forget that this year we have significantly less power than last year, and less power than F2.”
The comparison is rooted in the difference between headline output and power available when the battery is depleted. Formula 2’s 3.4-litre turbocharged V6 produces 620bhp, while the internal-combustion element of the 2026 F1 power unit is capped at roughly 536bhp once the MGU-K contribution is removed.
Across a full lap, F1’s combined output exceeds 1,000bhp when electrical power is available. In an energy-starved sector, though, that advantage can disappear. Spa’s sweeping second sector will therefore provide a severe test of how effectively teams manage deployment—and whether Formula 1’s most advanced cars can maintain their expected advantage over the support series.
“So, it’s a challenge,” Alonso concluded.
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