Overview
- By Thursday morning, multiple teams were trialing the extra downshift at Bahrain’s Turn 10, with McLaren’s Lando Norris and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly looking relatively comfortable while others, including Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, were more tentative.
- Red Bull and Max Verstappen pioneered the approach on day one and appeared most composed, though Red Bull’s car completed only an install lap early on day two due to issues that limited fresh on‑track observations.
- The tactic is intended to harvest more energy under braking by spiking revs in lower gears, recharging the battery to enable greater MGU‑K deployment on the straights.
- Execution varies by car, engine and driver, with Audi’s early adoption appearing visibly harsher and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson showing more rear instability than Verstappen’s tidy application.
- Rivals and some manufacturers are weighing trade‑offs such as potential gearbox wear and tire effects, with Mercedes‑ and Ferrari‑powered teams also relying on lift‑and‑coast, and observers cautioning the net benefit may be track‑dependent and not a guaranteed advantage.