Lando Norris says teams have to accept that a rival may have done a better job with its all-new F1 2026 car.<\/p>\n
Shakedown testing in Barcelona revealed a host of novel solutions, from Ferrari\u2019s front wing pillars to Aston Martin\u2019s suspension and Mercedes\u2019 footplane vane, offering designers plenty to pore over.<\/p>\n
Lando Norris: Willing to accept that sometimes people can do a better job<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n This season, Formula 1 has introduced new technical regulations with shorter, lighter cars that incorporate active aerodynamics with moveable front and rear wings.<\/p>\n The new cars hit the track last week, and while the test was held behind closed doors, some details were revealed as the teams released photographs of the cars, either from the shakedown or launches.<\/p>\n PlanetF1.com technical editor Matt Somerfield expanded on the various innovations that included Ferrari\u2019s front wing pillars, Aston Martin\u2019s suspension and even the seemingly minor ones such as the vane on the footplane of the Mercedes W17.<\/p>\n More on Matt Somerfield\u2019s technical analysis of the F1 2026 cars<\/p>\n Innovative floor and front wing solutions lead Ferrari\u2019s SF-26 A-spec unveiling <\/a><\/p>\n Adrian Newey masterclass revealed as Aston Martin AMR26 dissected <\/a><\/p>\n Mercedes W17 reveal raises first technical puzzle of F1 2026 <\/a><\/p>\n And then there are the engines.<\/p>\n This season five manufacturers will power the 11 teams with reports claiming Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains found a loophole in the working of the regulations that allows them to run a higher compression ratio out on track.<\/p>\n While the ratio is set at 16:1, that\u2019s when it is measured in \u201cambient\u201d conditions as per the FIA regulations, and their ratios increase when the engine begins running. Said to be worth 15bhp, that could be as much as four-tenths per lap.<\/p>\n But rather than get down over rivals finding innovative solutions, reigning World Champion Norris<\/a> says the teams have to accept that someone has done a better job and then set about reeling them in.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s always that element of looking at others, that\u2019s also just part of the sport,\u201d he told F1TV during the Barcelona shakedown.<\/p>\n \u201cYou look at others, see what other great minds have come up with, what ideas they\u2019ve come up with, see how you can learn from it, incorporate it, avoid it, whatever it may be.<\/p>\n \u201cYou always have to be willing to accept that sometimes people can do a better job and you want to learn from them.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m happy with the team\u2019s efforts and everything we\u2019ve done so far this year, but yeah, it\u2019s going to be a long year, so we\u2019ll keep working hard, we\u2019ll make sure everyone\u2019s happy and take it from there.\u201d<\/p>\n McLaren completed the opening shakedown<\/a> with the third fastest time, Norris 0.25s down on Lewis Hamilton with George Russell second fastest.<\/p>\n Norris and McLaren will have their second outing in the MCL40 at the Bahrain circuit later this month in a three-day test that runs from 11-13 February. They\u2019ll return to the Sakhir circuit later in the month before heading to Melbourne for FP1 on 6 March.<\/p>\n Although the teams still have six days of testing before the start of the Australian Grand Prix weekend, Norris says it could be a very unpredictable week as the drivers continue to hone their energy management skills while also getting on top of the active aerodynamics.<\/p>\n Asked if it could be a \u201clittle bit wilder\u201d than other weekends, he told PlanetF1.com and select media: \u201cI would say so.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, there\u2019s still places on the track where you can still do quite a few different things. And it might be that the systems learn and the calculations work out for everyone, it\u2019s all going to be the same, and everyone\u2019s lifting in the same places and doing same things.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s more chances nowadays, especially at the beginning of the show, where you might have people saving a bit more in one half of the track and deploying more on the other half of the track, another team doing vice versa.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you can, especially in the racing situation, that can create more more difficulties and more racing and more opportunities.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to give like a proper answer, because I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve done enough and enough different tracks to understand everything properly.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause it\u2019s not simple. We\u2019ll take a bit more time, there\u2019s also quite a lot to understand.\u201d<\/p>\n Additional reporting by Thomas Maher<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n