Race numbers and the power unit verdict
The Canadian Grand Prix has posted the season’s highest audience rating so far. The scoring system puts it at 8.4 out of 10. The North American race sits ahead of Miami, China, Australia and Japan on the numbers. The timing data backs up plenty of lead changes. Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell crossed paths. Lewis Hamilton went toe to toe with Max Verstappen. The sporting record shows healthy engagement figures. But the technical assessment from the experts paints a very different picture.
Lewis Hamilton has criticised the layout of the current power unit. The telemetry points to a break in the way energy is delivered. The driver hits full power on the exit of a corner. The electrical system cuts out midway down the straight. The revs from the internal combustion engine drop unevenly. Back in the days of V8 and V10 engines, power came in one smooth wave. The 2026 rules will force a heavily restricted throttle response.
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Chassis progress and the growing rulebook burden
The chassis analysis has produced encouraging results. The new aero design sharply reduces wake turbulence. The cars keep their downforce when running close behind another machine. Lewis Hamilton backs that structural direction in the regulations. Hamilton also sees Mercedes and Red Bull as more efficient thermally than Ferrari’s power unit. Max Verstappen has publicly echoed his rival’s view on aero efficiency.
The Dutchman has also taken aim at the growing pile of software restrictions. The operating protocol makes driving the cars far more complicated. Drivers have to set up energy recovery cycles even on the formation lap. In the end, how exciting the race is comes down to the quality of the drivers. Next year’s project will change the engine equation. The brief calls for a 60 percent split for thermal energy and 40 percent for electrical energy. That new technical balance will shape Max Verstappen’s next contract talks.
Photo by Marcel van Dorst / NurPhoto via AFP
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