Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur has predicted teams will run into "difficulties" at this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix, as the new regulations undergo their biggest test yet.
The event in Shanghai is to be the first of six Sprint events in the 2026 season, with teams having just 60 minutes of practice before going into Sprint qualifying on Friday afternoon, before Saturday morning's shorter race.
It means teams must set up their cars and decide upon their energy deployment and harvesting strategy after just one hour of track time before parc ferme for the Sprint, with cars then being released for any changes before grand prix qualifying on Saturday afternoon, when parc ferme will again be closed ahead of Sunday's race.
In the Australia season-opener, teams had three hours of practice to fine-tune their machines, with Vasseur predicting the two-thirds reduction in track time will lead to difficulties across the field.
"The fact that we were in good shape for the Sprint in China last year, I am not sure that it has something to do with the qualifying for [Shanghai]," Vasseur told media, including RacingNews365.
"For sure, it will be difficult because we need time to adjust the strategy in terms of [energy] deployment, and also the driving, it was much easier when we started in Bahrain, as you are doing six days on the same track and you improve lap after lap.
"When you do 150 laps a day, after six days, you have tons of opportunity to fine-tune, and [Shanghai] will be different.
"We'll do 20 laps [per car] in FP1, and then we'll have to go for the strategy of qualifying and the race, and this exercise will be difficult."
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Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they look back on the Australian GP and look ahead to China! The trio discuss the first taste of F1's new regulations, Max Verstappen's frustration but also Lewis Hamilton's striking positivity.
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