The intricacies of Energy Recovery Systems (ERS) in Formula 1 are becoming increasingly apparent as teams and drivers adapt to the regulations in the 2026 season. While the technology itself isn’t new, maximizing its potential – and mitigating its drawbacks – is proving to be a significant challenge, demanding a nuanced approach to race strategy and driving style.
ERS, at its core, is a system designed to recapture waste energy during braking and from the turbocharger. This recovered energy is then stored in a battery and can be deployed for an extra burst of power, providing a crucial advantage for overtaking or defending position. The system comprises two Motor Generator Units (MGUs): the MGU-K, which recovers energy under braking, and the MGU-H, which harvests energy from the turbocharger. The energy is stored in what’s known as the Energy Store (ES).
In F1 24, the in-game simulation of this system allows for 160 bhp of boost for up to 33 seconds per lap. However, simply having the energy available isn’t enough. Effective ERS management revolves around understanding the limits of both energy recharge and deployment. Cars are restricted in the amount of energy they can recover per lap via the MGU-K, indicated by a red bar on the driver’s display, and the amount of battery that can be deployed during a single lap, shown by a green bar.
Drivers have four distinct ERS deployment modes at their disposal: None, Medium, Hotlap, and Overtake. The ‘None’ mode prioritizes battery charging, offering minimal on-throttle assistance. ‘Medium’ provides a balanced approach, offering moderate boost and regeneration. ‘Hotlap’ maximizes battery assistance for setting fast lap times, while ‘Overtake’ delivers a substantial, albeit short-lived, power surge designed for, as the name suggests, passing maneuvers.
The strategic implications of these modes are considerable. While the ‘Overtake’ mode can be decisive in a pass, drivers risk depleting their battery and leaving themselves vulnerable to being re-passed on the subsequent straight. This delicate balance requires careful consideration and precise timing.
Lewis Hamilton’s recent comments highlight the evolving challenges teams face in optimizing ERS usage. He noted that, in certain circuits like Barcelona, drivers were forced to employ extreme ‘lift and coast’ techniques – lifting off the throttle well before corners – to maximize energy recovery. If you look at Barcelona, for example, we’re doing 600 metres lift and coast on a qualifying lap. That’s not what racing is about.
he stated. However, at circuits like Bahrain, with more braking zones, the need for such drastic measures is lessened.
Hamilton also pointed to the necessity of running in lower gears than ideal to facilitate energy recovery. The low gears that we have to go down into is just because we can’t recover enough battery power. We can’t recover enough battery power, so that’s why we have to go and rev the engines very, very, very high. So we’re going down to second and first in some places just to try to recover that extra bit of power.
This suggests a trade-off between engine efficiency and energy harvesting, forcing drivers to compromise on optimal performance in certain areas.
Beyond regenerative braking, several other methods contribute to energy recovery. These include part-throttle overload, where the battery draws power from the engine during periods of reduced throttle demand, such as cornering. ‘lift and coast’, intentionally lifting off the throttle before corners to allow the electric motor to run against the engine; and a technique referred to as ‘Superclip’, where the electronic control unit diverts energy to the battery even while the driver is at full throttle on a straight.
It’s important to note that these energy management strategies aren’t entirely new. Teams were already employing similar techniques with the previous generation of engines, but the current regulations and the increased emphasis on ERS efficiency have amplified their importance. The rulemakers are expected to monitor the situation closely before making any significant changes, allowing the teams time to fully understand and adapt to the new system.
The effective use of ERS isn’t just about selecting the right mode; it’s about anticipating the demands of the track, understanding the limitations of the system, and making split-second decisions that can make or break a lap time or a race. As teams gather more data and drivers gain experience, we can expect to see increasingly sophisticated ERS strategies emerge, further shaping the competitive landscape of Formula 1.
The new battery-operated DRS, as some are calling the enhanced overtake system, will allow for an increase in deployable power at certain speeds, placing even greater emphasis on strategic energy management. Teams will need to carefully balance the desire for immediate overtaking power with the need to conserve energy for later stages of the race.
