Energy Storage State of Charge Range

In Simple Terms

The energy storage system (ES) in F1 cars must maintain a relatively narrow operating window while racing. The difference between when the battery is most charged and least charged cannot exceed 4 megajoules at any point the car is on track. This rule ensures fair competition by preventing teams from using an unrestricted battery range.

• Energy storage can fluctuate by a maximum of 4MJ between its highest and lowest charge states during racing
• This limitation applies whenever the car is on track, including practice sessions and races
• The rule prevents teams from gaining unfair advantages through unrestricted battery management strategies
• Teams must carefully calibrate their energy recovery and deployment systems to stay within this window