Reigning champion Lando Norris says Formula 1 has gone from having the best cars in the sport’s history to the worst after new rules were introduced for the 2026 season.
F1’s new era got off to an inauspicious start as multiple drivers complained about the characteristics of the cars following the opening qualifying session of the season in Australia.
The new rules have introduced hybrid engines that are powered 50% by sustainable fuels and 50% by electric power, resulting in a formula that puts added focus on managing battery levels – occasionally at the expense of driving the car to the limit in corners.
Melbourne’s Albert Park, the venue for this weekend’s season opener, is expected to be among the toughest circuits to manage energy and onboard footage showed drivers losing power on straights as the cars’ hybrid systems automatically switched to energy recovery settings.
Norris, who qualified sixth after missing out on a significant chunk of practice due to reliability issues, gave a downbeat assessment of the new formula.
“We’ve come from the best cars ever made in Formula 1 and the nicest to drive to probably the worst,” he said.
“It sucks, but you have to live with it and just maximise what you get given. It’s certainly different. It’s certainly not like it was last year.
“It’s not like, yeah, push this corner more. Sometimes you push more, you lose the battery and just go slower. You have to understand how to do things.”
At one stage in qualifying, Norris collided with a cooling fan that had been discarded by Kimi Antonelli’s Mercedes and ended up on the exit of Turn 2 after it was accidentally left in the car’s sidepod as it left the pits.
Norris said he did not see the obstacle because he was looking down at his steering wheel to check the level of charge in his battery.
“I’m looking at my steering wheel, that’s why I don’t see the debris, because I have to look at what speed I want to get at the end of the straight [did recharge the battery], and if I need to brake 30 metres earlier, 10 metres later,” he said. “So that’s also the problem.”
Norris believes the drivers all share his concerns about the impact of the 50/50 split in power on the new formula, although admitted George Russell, who secured pole position for Mercedes on Saturday, is probably still enjoying the new experience.
“I think everyone knows what the issues are – it’s just the fact it’s a 50-50 split,” he said. “It just doesn’t work.
“The fact, yeah, you just decelerate so much before corners, you have to lift everywhere to make sure the [battery] pack’s at the top. If the pack’s too high, you’re also screwed.
“It’s just difficult. But, yeah, it’s what we have. It doesn’t feel good as a driver, but I’m sure George is smiling, so it doesn’t really matter in the end of the day. You’ve just got to maximise what you’re going to give it.”
The 50/50 split was introduced to entice new engine manufacturers to the sport based on its green credentials, and succeeded in attracting Audi while also convincing Honda to remain on the grid.
– Aston Martin fears driver ‘nerve damage’ from F1 car, may not finish race
– Australian Grand Prix 2026: Race start time, how to watch, full schedule
– The craziest F1 start ever? Why Melbourne might see chaos from the off
Norris said the rulemakers would have been better off listening to drivers, who he believes have interests that are aligned with F1’s fans.
“I think we have the interest of the sport in our minds better than others,” he said.
“We also want the best for the sport. At the same time, we don’t try and do things to make it more fun for us.
“We try and do it so it’s cooler cars, looks better to watch, more exciting, all these different things.
“The rules have been changed because that’s what manufacturers want. But if you have 20 other drivers complaining, I don’t know what’s better for the sport or not.”
