The FIA will deliberately limit the top speed of the Formula 1 cars during the upcoming Monaco GP. With an adjusted engine mode, the organization wants to prevent the current generation of cars from becoming too fast for the narrow streets of the principality. Earlier, the FIA already announced that there are no so-called Straight Mode zones, meaning the drivers do not have active aerodynamics.
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The Monaco GP is characterized by short straights, tight corners, and heavy braking zones, making the circuit’s energy management completely different from most other tracks. Where teams usually struggle with recovering and distributing energy over long straights, this is hardly a problem in Monaco. Precisely because of this, maximum power can theoretically be available for a long time, potentially causing speeds to become too high.
Rev 1
To limit that risk, the FIA has prescribed a specific engine setting, known as ‘Rev 1’, which restricts maximum power on the straights. In this mode, the MGU-K starts downshifting from the maximum power of 350 kW already at 200 km/h. This is much earlier than the standard ‘Base’ mode, where this limitation only starts from 290 km/h.
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Additionally, battery usage is completely stopped from 300 km/h. Although the overtaking mode remains active in Monaco, the power reduction is implemented less abruptly when drivers use it. It applies that 150 kW is still available from 300 km/h, after which the power further decreases to zero at 310 km/h.
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Read everything about the Monaco GP here
