Hamilton expects F1 cars will be up to 30kph slower at ‘Temple of Speed’ this year | Formula 1

Formula 1 cars will be significantly slower at the fastest track on the calendar this weekend, Lewis Hamilton predicted.

The current generation of cars are incapable of accelerating for sustained periods as they deplete their batteries too quickly. This leads to “clipping”, where the cars run out of power on long straights and their speed begins to drop.

Monza features the longest acceleration zones on the calendar and typically sees some of the highest speeds of the season. Last year Max Verstappen broke the all-time record for the fastest lap of any F1 circuit in qualifying, lapping at an average speed of 264.681kph.

However Hamilton says the top speeds F1 cars hit will be significantly lower this weekend. “It’s always tough with these cars to manage the power units,” he said.

“It’s kind of crazy to come here. We probably have more downforce through the corners than we did last year because, obviously, with the [Straight Line Mode] we run the same wing [levels] that we ran in the last race, for example, but obviously down the straights with the reduction system, it’s still quick, but then we lose this power. We arrive maybe 20 or 30 kilometres slower than we have in the past at the end, going into the corners, which will probably take some getting used to.”

Fans have become used to seeing F1 cars slowing down much earlier than usual as they approach the quickest corners on the calendar, such as at Silverstone and Spa.

“It was always amazing to arrive here and just hear the engine screaming at the end of the straight and pulling and pulling and pulling just up into the braking zone. That won’t be the case this weekend.

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“Likely, the drivers will be downshifting before they get to the braking zone, which, for me, still doesn’t feel ultimately the best, but it is what we have. And optimising how you apply your throttle and get into full power, activating these systems, the situation we have. It’s all very, very technical and tricky, and we’re all faced with the same issue.”

Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has repeatedly claimed the series’ fans fans do not understand what clipping is.

Oliver Bearman predicted cars will be significantly slower at the fastest points on the circuit.

“It’s challenging for everybody and [there’s] definitely a lot of nuances with these regulations, especially on tracks like this, like Spa, probably Baku later, those tracks where we’re really right up against it with the amount of energy we have and the length of the straights. Everything becomes that little bit more sensitive and a little bit less enjoyable to drive.

“In Spa we lost one or two corners compared to last year, basically, because Pouhon was gone now. Like Lewis said, in Monza now, we’re probably going to be in seventh gear instead of eighth heading into turn one [Rettifilo] and turn four [Roggia], et cetera, et cetera. So that’s a shame.”

However Bearman is hopeful the situation will improve. “We’re all still adjusting to downshifting on the straights and things like that. It’s a new phenomenon for us as well.”

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