F1 teams might need an ‘extra free practice session’ at Australian Grand Prix amid battery concerns

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F1 teams are concerned that their cars will run out of electrical energy during qualifying laps at the Australian Grand Prix. An extra free practice session isn’t out of the question.

Under the new regulations, the battery accounts for almost 50% of the car’s overall power output. That makes energy gathering and deployment critical to success.

Bahrain, which hosted pre-season testing, features numerous heavy braking zones, which are ideal for charging the battery. But after recent layout changes, the fast, flowing Albert Park circuit offers far fewer energy-recovery opportunities.

There’s a chance that drivers will have to lift off halfway down a straight in order to conserve charge for the rest of the lap, a scenario that would be somewhat farcical.

Extra practice session could help F1 teams find solution for energy management problem

As explained by SoyMotor, F1 teams tested a potential solution in Bahrain. They reduced the electrical power from 350 kilowatts to 250, which sped up the recharge process.

While this would cost the cars around 136 horsepower, that was still seen as a better outcome than enforced coasting.

Aston Martin can’t even reach the lower limit with their Honda engine, but it would at least bring them closer to a competitive standard.

However, the teams decided, in conjunction with the FIA and F1 management, not to implement this idea for Australia. They didn’t want to rush into a rule change before a race weekend had even taken place.

• READ MORE: F1 teams think flat-out laps are a ‘thing of the past’ in Melbourne due to energy management issues

There is a feeling of trepidation heading into Melbourne, which risks becoming a test event for the remainder of the season rather than a fully-functioning Grand Prix weekend.

SoyMotor’s Raymond Blancafort says ‘the problem might warrant an extra free practice session’, potentially on Thursday afternoon. There are already three hours of non-competitive running scheduled for Friday and Saturday, but an earlier start could bring about an earlier solution.

Even though most teams completed between 500 and 800 laps in Bahrain, they’re still in need of more track time – at different venues – to find the sweet spot with the new formula.

What is the current Thursday schedule at the Australian Grand Prix?

The Albert Park track will already be in use on Thursday with the Porsche Carrera Cup and Supercars Championship pencilled in. The action begins at 10am local time and concludes at 6.50pm.

There are potential slots in the mid-afternoon and early evening where an F1 session could be squeezed in, but it’s unclear if this is logistically feasible. The grandstands would likely be sparse for ‘FP-zero’, as it were, unless circuit bosses could make last-minute arrangements.

Even if there aren’t any changes, the very fact that the idea has been floated shows the level of concern.