Regulation 2026, Norris remains critical: “We are not yet at F1 level. The battery must be eliminated”

From irony to criticism At the beginning of the year, during testing, Lando Norris was the one who – jokingly – said that if Verstappen really liked this new F1 technical regulation so little then he should retire. Now, however, paradoxically, the Englishman has become one of the most explicit critics of the innovations introduced this year, at least as much as his friend-rival. Although the weekend in Miami marked McLaren’s return to competitiveness, with Norris winning the Sprint race and finishing second in the GP, the English champion did not allay his doubts about the technical regulations currently in force. Even the ‘adjustments’ that the FIA, F1 and the teams decided upon during the long break that preceded the American trip do not seem to have convinced the #1 papaya. One step forward is not enough “It’s a small step in the right direction, but it’s not yet at the level that Formula 1 should have – declared the world champion, who seems particularly ‘annoyed’ by the management that needs to be had inside the cockpit during qualifying – if you go at full throttle everywhere and try to push like in previous years, you’re still penalised. You still can’t go at full throttle everywhere – added the McLaren standard bearer – the question is no longer about being able to accelerate as quickly as possible everywhere. You should never be penalized for this kind of thing and yet you still are.” Norris, just like Verstappen, is convinced there is no ‘definitive’ corrective that can solve the problems of these power units in the short term: “Honestly, I really don’t think the problem can be solved. We simply need to eliminate the battery. Let’s hope that will be the case in a few years”, he ruled.

Automobile Magazine – F1 English News
2026-05-08 16:00:00