At Spa-Francorchamps, there are multiple straights, more so than the average F1 track, which is causing concerns about how much power the cars will have.

The FIA, in an attempt to unlock more power on straight sections, has announced five Straight Mode zones at the track to minimize drag.

Straight Mode allows cars to activate a setting on the front and rear wings, which unlocks a speed boost similar to DRS.

Cars, apart from needing to deal with very long straights, will need to contend with a lack of braking zones.

Following the British Grand Prix, which featured a similar set of problems, Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso explained why the cars will face so many challenges.

“Obviously, Silverstone and Spa, they are very thirsty on energy. You cannot deploy in all on the straights. Next week, it is going to be the same thing. If you deploy in Spa from Turn 1 to 5, it is finito for the rest of the lap,” Alonso said.

“So, you need to save a little bit there to have deployment from 14 to the bus stop [chicane]. But if you deploy in those two straights, which is the optimal deployment, then there is one minute, sector two, with no deployment at all.

“And with no deployment at all, we cannot forget that this year we have significantly less power than last year and less power than F2, that is the case when you cut the deployment. So, yes, it is a challenge.”

How will the Belgian Grand Prix look?

For fans tuning in, they can expect a good number of overtakes, but they won’t always be based on moves; rather, some cars conserve energy while others deploy.

This can be known as a “yo-yo” effect, and it should be pronounced at Spa. However, with more overtaking zones, there should be a bit more aggression and tactics involved in this kind of racing.

However, those looking to see “pure racing” may be disappointed by how each driver is forced to attack every lap.

Formula 1 simulators are notoriously optimistic, but the latest leak out of Silverstone is raising eyebrows across the 2026 grid.

According to Spanish outlet Autonocion (highlighted by @FormulaDirecta, Aston Martin’s highly anticipated AMR26 chassis upgrades are yielding a staggering 2-second lap time improvement in virtual testing. If this correlation holds true when rubber meets the asphalt, the entire midfield dynamic is about to shift.

Here is why Fernando Alonso’s patience might finally be paying off.

Erasing the Cadillac Gap

Aston Martin has spent the first phase of the 2026 season completely out of sorts. Instead of chasing incremental gains, the team actively chose to hold its fire, committing to tackling the AMR26’s baseline aerodynamic flaws with one massive, overarching upgrade package.

With design heavyweight Adrian Newey now heavily influencing the AMR26, this incoming package represents the team’s first major swing at salvaging the season. And if the simulator numbers are even partially accurate, the math looks highly favorable for Silverstone.

Currently, Aston Martin is languishing roughly 1.4 seconds behind the new Cadillac entry in race pace. A 2-second gain wouldn’t just erase that deficit; it would instantly catapult Alonso and Lance Stroll past Cadillac and put them squarely in the fight with established midfield runners like Williams.

But can a team actually find two full seconds mid-season? The paddock remains highly skeptical. Finding pace in the simulator is vastly different from unlocking it during FP1, and the team will need to master the setup immediately to extract that theoretical maximum.

However, Aston Martin doesn’t necessarily need the full two seconds to achieve their goal. Even if only a fraction of that simulated lap time materializes in Hungary, it should give the team the firepower they need to comfortably clear the backmarker fight. The AMR26 is about to get its biggest test of the season—and the rest of the midfield better hope the simulator is lying.