F1MATHS: How does superclipping highlight Mercedes' advantage and Ferrari's weakness in Suzuka?
The speed traces from today’s qualifying session at this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix show dramatic differences between teams and power units. F1Technical's senior writer Balazs Szabo delivers his latest analysis.
The 130R corner at Suzuka has always been a benchmark for aerodynamic efficiency and driver commitment, but under the 2026 power unit regulations it has taken on a new role: it is now one of the clearest windows into superclipping, the phenomenon where a car slows down despite the driver being at full throttle because the MGU‑K begins harvesting energy.
With the MGU‑H removed and the MGU‑K responsible for up to 350 kW of deployment, teams are forced to manage their electrical energy far more aggressively.
When the battery is depleted late in the lap, the MGU‑K switches into harvest mode and can absorb up to the regulatory limit of 250 kW, effectively removing a huge chunk of power from the rear wheels. The result is a measurable drop in speed even though the throttle remains at 100%. A flat‑out corner like 130R exposes this instantly.
Ferrari recorded the lowest top speed of the field, reaching only 320 km/h before entering 130R. Their minimum speed of 272 km/h represents a 48 km/h drop, which is not the worst clipping figure, but the lack of top‑end performance is striking.
Ferrari‑powered cars were the slowest PU group on average, even trailing the Aston‑Honda cars, which is a reversal of expectations given Ferrari’s traditionally strong deployment. Whether this is due to higher drag, conservative deployment maps, or weaker electrical efficiency, the deficit is clear.
The most dramatic clipping figures came from the Honda‑powered Aston Martin. The Silverstone-based outfit bottomed out at 267 km/h, the lowest minimum speed recorded at 130R. The means that Aston Martin's top speed fell from 327 km/h to 267 km/h, suffering a 60 km/h drop. This is the largest delta in the field and strongly suggest that Honda is hitting the 250 kW harvest ceiling aggressively.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Mercedes‑powered cars showed the strongest minimum speeds. Alpine, in particular, delivered the standout performance of the session: a 333 km/h top speed — tied for the fastest overall — combined with a 278 km/h minimum speed, the best among the cars reaching that top‑speed bracket.
This 55 km/h drop is significantly smaller than Honda’s 60 km/h loss and indicates a highly efficient ICE paired with a well‑balanced deployment strategy. The works Mercedes team also performed strongly, with a 329 to 271 km/h profile and a 53 km/h delta. Across the board, Mercedes‑powered cars demonstrated the most stable hybrid behaviour through 130R.
RBPT once again proved its strength in deployment. RBs matched Alpine for the fastest top speed of the day at 333 km/h, while Red Bull themselves reached 330 km/h. Their minimum speeds — 276 km/h for RBs and 274 km/h for RBR — show clipping deltas of 57 km/h and 56 km/h respectively.
RBPT clearly has the strongest initial deployment phase, but their minimum speeds suggest that they begin harvesting earlier than Mercedes or Audi. Even so, the 333 km/h benchmark confirms that RBPT remains the reference for straight‑line performance.
Audi delivered one of the most efficient hybrid profiles of the session. Their 329 to 278 km/h trace represents a 51 km/h drop, the smallest delta in the field. Audi’s ICE appears highly efficient, and their hybrid strategy conservative but stable, allowing them to maintain strong minimum speeds without sacrificing too much top‑end performance.
When grouped by power unit, the trends become even clearer. RBPT leads the field in top speed with an average of 333 km/h, while Mercedes and Audi dominate the minimum‑speed category with averages around 271–278 km/h. Honda shows the worst clipping behaviour with deltas approaching 60 km/h, and Ferrari sits at the bottom of the top‑speed rankings with an average of 320–324 km/h.
What 130R revealed today is that the 2026 regulations have created a genuine divergence in hybrid philosophies. RBPT prioritises aggressive deployment, Mercedes and Audi focus on ICE efficiency and balanced energy management, Honda leans heavily on early‑lap deployment at the cost of late‑lap clipping, and Ferrari appears to be struggling with top‑end performance altogether.
