Formula 1's package of rule tweaks introduced from the Miami Grand Prix included a specific mention about the recharge limit per lap being reduced to 7MJ for qualifying.

So the FIA's documents ahead of this weekend's event, explaining that the cap for Miami would be 8MJ, inevitably triggered intrigue about whether there had been a bit of a row back.

That was not the case at all though, because the FIA did follow through in reducing the planned limit by 1MJ – as it was originally going to be 9MJ for Miami.

Key to understanding the reasons behind why an announced reduction to 7MJ has resulted in 8MJ here is that recharge limits for qualifying are different at each track.

As part of efforts by the FIA to ensure that the cars fit in with circuit characteristics – and especially how easy it is to harvest energy at each venue – recharge limits vary event to event.

Having a fixed limit for the entire campaign would make no sense, as it would trigger the need for some unusual tactics in boosting the battery at those venues that are much harder to recover.

So while F1's technical regulations state the actual recharge limit per lap for 2026 is 8.5MJ – this figure is moved around to ensure the cars are fit for purpose at each venue.

Prior to this weekend, F1's rules allowed a reduction to 8MJ for those venues where it was determined “that the maximum possible energy harvested per lap attributable under braking and in partial load” would be no more than that.

As part of the recent refinements to the rule, it is this figure that has been dropped to 7MJ.

However, even that lower threshold is not the bottom limit because the rules allow the FIA to drop the recharge to just 5MJ for those tracks where “harvesting strategies required to achieve the above limit [7MJ] are excessive.”

To come up with a final qualifying limit figure the FIA also throws into the mix that it can add an extra 0.5MJ of additional energy based on other factors – including boost mode.

The end result is a big variation of the maximum recharge limit in qualifying at each track.

This goes from the 5MJ low at energy starved tracks such as Monza to being the high 9MJ at places such as Monaco where harvesting will not be a problem.

The change agreed for Miami was more about pulling down the baseline reduced figure from 8MJ to 7MJ – and things will follow suit at specific venues over the remainder of the campaign.

While the FIA continues to closely monitor things and does not need to finalise its recharge limits until four weeks before each race, The Race can reveal the current forecasts for the ceilings for the remainder of the campaign.

Maximum recharge per lap in qualifying at each race 

Miami 8MJ
Canada 6MJ
Monaco 9MJ
Barcelona 7MJ
Austria 6MJ
Britain 7.5MJ
Belgium 8MJ
Hungary 9MJ
Netherlands 7.5MJ
Italy 5MJ
Spain 8MJ
Azerbaijan 8.5MJ
Singapore 9MJ
USA 8MJ
Mexico 8.5MJ
Brazil 6.5MJ
Las Vegas 6MJ
Qatar 8MJ
Abu Dhabi 7MJ