Mercedes has defended Formula 1’s controversial 2026 regulations, with Anthony Davidson and Simone Resta arguing that the new power units have added a valuable tactical dimension to racing. Despite early criticism surrounding superclipping, electrical energy management and drivers lifting off the throttle during qualifying laps, both believe the regulations still allow competitors to make a decisive difference.
The Hungarian Grand Prix did not simply mark the halfway point of the current season. It also provided an opportunity to assess the major regulatory transformation introduced at the beginning of the year and whether Formula 1’s new turbo-hybrid era has delivered acceptable racing after a difficult opening period.
Mercedes assesses Formula 1’s new 2026 regulations
The introduction of a new generation of turbo-hybrid power units represented a considerable step into the unknown for engineers, paddock personnel and, above all, Formula 1 supporters. For the first time, the regulations were designed around an approximately equal split between electrical and internal-combustion power.
The initial shock was caused primarily by the different driving approach required from the competitors. Superclipping became one of the most debated features, while drivers were sometimes required to lift off the accelerator during qualifying in order to maximise their overall lap time.
For some observers, those characteristics appeared too far removed from the traditional image of Formula 1, where drivers are generally expected to attack at maximum performance, particularly over a single qualifying lap.
The challenges became especially visible as teams worked to understand how deployment and harvesting affected car behaviour. Mercedes also faced an intense development contest, with the team reportedly surprised by McLaren’s substantial Hungary upgrade package as the competitive order continued to evolve.
Anthony Davidson draws on his endurance racing experience
Anthony Davidson did not find the transition as unfamiliar as some drivers and supporters. The former Formula 1 competitor currently works as a simulator driver for Mercedes and had already experienced sophisticated hybrid systems during his career outside the championship.
During a recent episode of Mercedes’ Nu Silver Arrows podcast, deputy technical director Simone Resta asked Anthony Davidson what adapting to the new regulations had meant from a driver’s perspective.
“Fortunately for me, I drove hybrid racing cars long before Formula 1 adopted this technology,” Anthony Davidson explained. “With the power split close to 50 per cent between the internal-combustion engine and the electrical side, I found myself in an environment very similar to what I had already experienced in endurance racing.
“All this management of superclipping, meaning the use of the electric motor until the end of the straight and the subsequent recovery of energy, was something I already knew extremely well.”
His previous experience meant he was able to approach the 2026 power unit as an evolution of concepts he had already encountered rather than as an entirely unfamiliar form of racing.
How Anthony Davidson helped Mercedes drivers understand energy management
Anthony Davidson carried out extensive simulator work towards the end of the previous year, before Mercedes’ race drivers began their preparations in January. That placed the British simulator driver in a useful position as the team attempted to understand the increased importance of electrical power management.
“When the race drivers arrived in January, after all the work I had completed in the simulator towards the end of last year, it was very interesting to guide them through understanding the much greater importance of electrical power management this season,” he said.
The new system requires drivers to consider how and when electrical energy is deployed, how it is recovered and how those decisions affect performance later in the lap. Managing the available energy incorrectly can leave a car short of electrical assistance before the end of a straight, producing the effect commonly described as clipping or, in its more extreme form, superclipping.
Anthony Davidson also addressed one misconception he has frequently encountered among supporters.
“I believe many fans find it difficult to understand, and I often read comments suggesting that artificial intelligence controls what happens beneath the driver’s right foot, but that is not the case,” he explained.
His comments emphasised that, although the software involved in controlling modern Formula 1 power units is highly sophisticated, the driver still plays an important role in using the available systems and adapting to the strategic requirements of each race.
Simone Resta sees a new tactical dimension in F1 racing
Simone Resta acknowledged that software now plays a much greater role in power unit management because of the complexity of the energy regulations. However, the Italian engineer also expressed a positive assessment of the racing produced under the new formula.
“The races are very lively and feature numerous overtakes,” Simone Resta said. “There is an important strategic element in energy management and a very tactical way of racing, which I personally find extremely interesting.
“I believe these rules have added a new dimension to the spectacle, and there is considerable scope for the driver to make a genuine difference during the race.”
That tactical element means drivers must do more than simply follow a predetermined deployment programme. They may need to manage their available electrical energy according to traffic, defensive situations or opportunities to attack, creating different priorities from one lap to the next.
Mercedes’ wider technical assessment comes after a Hungarian weekend in which several teams’ relative strengths changed across the sessions. Analysis of the event also showed that Ferrari’s principal Hungary limitation was not simply a lack of downforce, illustrating how complex the performance picture has become under the new rules.
Qualifying compromises remain a weakness of the 2026 rules
Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord also participated in the podcast and highlighted the compromises drivers have faced during qualifying. He referred to corrective measures already planned for the 2027 and 2028 seasons, which are intended to address some of the most problematic aspects of the current regulations.
Anthony Davidson agreed that the greatest weakness appears at circuits where performance depends particularly heavily on electrical energy.
“The tracks that are highly dependent on electrical energy represent the real Achilles’ heel of these regulations,” he said. “It is a problem that will be corrected.”
At such circuits, the challenge of maintaining electrical deployment for the full length of a straight can become more obvious. A driver may have to compromise an earlier part of the lap or lift off the throttle at an apparently unnatural moment to ensure the available energy is used where it produces the greatest overall benefit.
Those characteristics can be difficult for spectators to interpret because the fastest approach may not always look like the most aggressive one. However, Mercedes believes that the weakness can be addressed without abandoning the strategic possibilities introduced by the new system.
Anthony Davidson says Hungary showed Formula 1 at its best
Despite the remaining problems, Anthony Davidson pointed to the races at Spa-Francorchamps and the Hungaroring as evidence that the regulations can still produce authentic Formula 1 competition.
“Looking at Spa or Budapest, these rules allowed an overtake for the lead of the race, and in the end the fastest car always won,” he said.
At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton at the first corner in a move Anthony Davidson regarded as a perfect example of the Dutch driver’s assertive racing style.
“In Budapest, we saw Max Verstappen overtake Lewis Hamilton at the first corner, a classic Max Verstappen move that represents Formula 1 at its very best,” Anthony Davidson added.
The pass helped Max Verstappen secure second place in Hungary, behind race winner Lando Norris and ahead of Kimi Antonelli. The final Hungarian Grand Prix classification also placed Charles Leclerc fourth and Lewis Hamilton fifth.
For Anthony Davidson and Simone Resta, the presence of energy management does not remove the driver from the equation. Their view is that it gives competitors another set of tools and decisions through which they can create opportunities, defend positions and influence the outcome of a race.
The regulations still require refinement, particularly at circuits that expose their dependence on electrical deployment. However, Mercedes believes the racing at Spa and Budapest demonstrated that the new formula can reward the fastest cars while still creating overtaking opportunities and allowing elite drivers such as Max Verstappen to impose their ability at decisive moments.
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