Williams driver Alex Albon believes that “smart” drivers will be able to understand and “abuse” the energy management system of the 2026 Formula 1 cars to gain an advantage. Talking to the media, including Motorsport.com, the Thai British driver pinpointed that understanding and manipulating the systems offered to them will be a crucial part of finding success next year.
Williams currently sits fifth in the constructors’ standings after a number of reliability issues. Alex, collecting 46 points for the Grove outfit, has outperformed his new team-mate, Carlos Sainz, who has not only been tasked with adapting to a new team after his time at Ferrari, but also suffered from a number of DNFs that have derailed his learnings.
While 2025 has been a challenging campaign for the team, it has still been one of its most successful in recent history, and aims to maintain this momentum as they follow the new regulations in 2026.
F1 is preparing for a substantial overhaul of its cars next year, with the new regulations introducing a 50/50 split between internal combustion engine and electrical power. A Manual Override Mode replaces DRS, boosting power to aid in overtaking. After spending time in the 2026 car in the simulator, Albon shared feedback on how he managed the new energy management system ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix.
Alex Albon, Williams
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
“In the end, I just want good racing,” he said. “I think we all just want good racing. I’m not sure the speeds of the cars or the way that they’re driven is going to change too much.
“I don’t think it’s going to become Formula E style where you’re getting these massive lift and coast sessions and all these kind of things. But I don’t think it will change too much.”
Pushed specifically on the energy management system and how it can be leveraged by the driver, Albon admitted that a smart driver would be able to “abuse the system” to gain an advantage.
“For now, it’s so early. We’re still going through a lot of the simulator, working closely with HPP and all these kind of people to understand what is the most efficient way to do it. Obviously, Formula 1 and the regulations also want the drivers to have no assistance on a lot of these things.
“There is a lot that the driver has to do. I don’t think it will always just purely be around how good the driver is around the corner.
“A driver who’s quite smart and can understand the system and abuse the system to understand how it works and becomes efficient on it, they’re going to find performance in that as well.”
He added: “More than now, for sure.”
Photos from Belgian GP – Thursday
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