Formula 1 drivers will face the lowest energy harvesting limit of the season so far during qualifying this weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix.
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The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is staging its first sprint event this weekend. The FIA has set the qualifying energy harvesting limit at 6MJ for Montreal, one megajoule lower than the level used at the season-opener in Melbourne. This reduced limit will apply to both qualifying sessions.
Authorities lowered the upper limit for qualifying energy harvesting before the Miami round after concerns that drivers were slowing excessively on flying laps to conserve electrical energy. The permitted harvesting rate varies by venue because track layouts create differing opportunities to recover energy. Montreal features several long acceleration zones but also many heavy braking points where the hybrid systems can recover charge.
Race organisers have also designated four ‘Straight Mode’ zones for this weekend, allowing drivers to reduce wing angle to cut drag. These correspond to the three DRS zones used last year, plus an additional activation point between turns nine and ten. The fourth zone will be conditional: it can only be used in dry conditions, unlike the other three.
| Albert Park | Shanghai | Suzuka | Miami | Montreal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum recharge per lap | |||||
| Race – Without Overtake mode | 8MJ | 8.5MJ | 8.5MJ | 8.5MJ | 8MJ |
| Race – With Overtake mode | 8.5MJ | 9MJ | 9MJ | 9MJ | 8.5MJ |
| Qualifying | 7MJ | 9MJ | 8MJ | 8MJ | 6MJ |
| Free practice | 8.5MJ | 9MJ | 9MJ | 9MJ | 8.5MJ |
| Out laps (except in races) | 8.5MJ | 9MJ | 9MJ | 9MJ | 8.5MJ |
| Track details | |||||
| Track length | 5.278km | 5.451km | 5.807km | 5.412km | 4.361km |
| Power limited distance | 3.518km | 3.125km | 3.472km | 3.346km | 2.682km |
| Maximum power reduction rate | 50kW/s | 100kW/s | 100kW/s | 100kW/s | 100kW/s |
| Areas where reduction can exceed 150kW | T11-13 | T7-9, T11-12 | T3-T6, T8-T8, T13-T14 | T4-T8, T11-T16, (T17-T19*) | T5-T6, (T13-T14 exit*) |
*Qualifying sessions only
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