Cutting peak electrical output and reshaping hybrid use would remove superclipping on the Miami International Autodrome’s long straight, according to a new simulation from former Formula 1 engineer Toni Cuquerella. He posted the model on X, proposing power‑unit parameter changes that shift the MGU‑K and internal combustion engine balance and smooth energy delivery across the lap.
Cuquerella’s plan lowers the maximum positive electrical power from 350 kW to 200 kW, while keeping maximum harvesting at 350 kW. It reduces the maximum energy recharge limit from 9 MJ to 6 MJ. It halves the permitted power slew rate from 100 kW per second to 50 kW per second. It also changes the MGU‑K and ICE split from the current 50 to 50 to a 36 to 64 balance. The aim is to stretch electrical deployment so it lasts the full length of the straight and prevent the late‑run power drop known as superclipping.
The simulation shows the change would erase superclipping at Miami. It would also trim peak speeds. Top speed before braking falls from about 338 km/h to about 328 km/h in the model. The lap time cost is estimated at around 1.4 seconds. Even with that loss, the projection suggests F1 would remain well clear of Formula 2 pace.
Cuquerella frames the adjustments as rule‑based rather than hardware‑based. They could be defined in the regulations through caps on electrical output, energy limits, and rates of change. In practice, he argues, such limits would push manufacturers toward a different power‑unit philosophy. Packaging, cooling, control software, and energy management maps would all need to change. That amounts to a full rethink of power‑unit architecture, which makes quick adoption unlikely.
The post arrives as the series debates how to handle energy deployment under the current rules and what to change for the future. Teams and officials have discussed the balance between combustion power and the hybrid system, as well as how drivers recharge during qualifying. Regulatory talks set for April 9 are due to weigh safety topics, energy recharge in qualifying, and active aero. Cuquerella’s numbers add a clear option to that discussion: reduce peak electrical punch, spread the push over more of the lap, and remove the late straight fade that has drawn attention at Miami.