Reigning world champion Lando Norris remains critical of Formula 1’s new-era regulations, but after building experience with the sport’s new cars, the McLaren driver is cautiously optimistic that fixes are within reach.
Earlier this year, Norris didn’t hold back his frustration with the sport’s wholesale changes, labeling the new generation of machinery as "probably the worst" he’s ever experienced in F1.
Facing the reality of his title defense, he was blunt: “It sucks, but you have to live with it.”
The driving challenge returns
But three races into the 2026 campaign have provided the Briton with a more nuanced perspective.
The cars – smaller, lighter, and running on slightly narrower rubber – have revived a sense of visceral driving that was missing in the previous heavy, aerodynamic-dependent three-year cycle.
“I’ll re-emphasise my point about these cars – they’re fun to drive, and some of these challenges can be solved with software changes,” Norris told Sky F1 during a Pirelli tyre test this week at the Nürburgring.
“Once we get that balance right, I think we have a very exciting regulation set. Starts, energy management, harvesting, lift and coast, are all topics of discussion and areas where I’m hoping we can bring improvements for the good of the sport.”
©McLaren
On the chassis side, the "old-school" feel has been a hit. The cars demand a level of bravery and manhandling that rewards those willing to dance on the knife-edge of physics.
“You really need a different approach when it comes to driving style,” Norris explained. “You can push these cars, find the edge and still recover, whereas last year, it was very hard to recover the car when you pass the edge of grip.
This is one of the real positives of these regulations. In this sense, the skill of the driver, the ability to hold on through a corner and get the best sell right on the edge, is what becomes the difference in performance.”
The battery battleground
However, the praise ends where the power unit begins. The fundamental friction in the 2026 rules lies in the tug-of-war between pure mechanical grip and a complex electrical deployment system that often feels like it's fighting the driver.
Norris added: “However, this is at odds with what we need to do on the power unit, because going flat out in one corner might mean you get through that sector quicker, but by the time you get to the next straight, you lose time because you have no battery, as it’s been deploying through the corners, and that is a shame.”
For Norris, the new "chess match" style of one-lap pace is a significant departure from the raw aggression of years past. The days of simply finding the limit of the tyres are gone, replaced by a frantic management of joules and kilowatts.
“Qualifying is very different to in previous years," he noted.
“In the past, the driver who could extract the most grip from the car, get on throttle earliest and accelerate out of the corner quickest could usually unlock more lap time and would be rewarded for it.
“Now, you have to be much more careful about when you get the battery to deploy, not using too much in the corner, as it could cost you further on in the lap.”
Read also: Domenicali responds to Verstappen criticism with subtle warning
As the championship progresses, the grid waits to see if F1’s governing body will listen to its champion.
For now, Norris remains a critic with a vision – hopeful that the "soul" of the sport can eventually catch up to its sophisticated, yet frustrating, new heart.
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