Lando Norris has clarified that his misgivings regarding the F1 2026 regulations centre on the power units rather than the package as a whole.<\/p>\n
Norris detailed after the Japanese Grand Prix that, while in battle with Lewis Hamilton, he overtook when he did not want to because of the battery deployment, which left him \u201ca sitting duck\u201d later on.<\/p>\n
Lando Norris concerned by F1 2026 power units as they stand<\/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 The new power unit formula sees a near 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric power, with the battery element deploying and recharging multiple times per lap and with limited control from within the cockpit.<\/p>\n The dangerous side of this was highlighted when Oliver Bearman suffered a high-speed crash at Suzuka<\/a>, holding a 30mph closing speed when chasing Franco Colapinto on the approach to Spoon Curve.<\/p>\n For the reigning World Champion, Norris went into detail about just how different the cars are compared to last season.<\/p>\n \u201cThese cars are certainly very different to the cars from last year, and the differences are quite complex. Some of which I enjoy, some of which I\u2019ve found a bit more difficult so far,\u201d Norris explained to McLaren\u2019s official website.<\/p>\n \u201cLast year we had loads of downforce, cars that really felt like they were on rails when we got them dialled in and what felt like never-ending speed, however when you lost grip, that was it, you were just losing time at best or heading for the gravel.<\/p>\n More on the FIA and F1 2026 rules<\/p>\n Formula 1\u2019s hidden workforce revealed in staggering FIA findings<\/a><\/p>\n Bring back V10s? The F1 2026 rules are a step too far<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThat could be quite frustrating as it didn\u2019t feel like you could make as much of a difference yourself as a driver, you needed the car underneath you and needed to ensure you stayed within the limits of the car.<\/p>\n \u201cThis year the cars are much much lower downforce and much more on the limit. You can catch slides more easily, and the slightly lower grip makes for a very exciting car to drive.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a car, I\u2019m enjoying driving them, they remind me of some of the cars I drove coming up through the junior series, and I say that as a big compliment, you really feel like you can make a difference.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve said before that it\u2019s not the car I\u2019m struggling with, it\u2019s the bit behind us that I\u2019m not enjoying as much \u2013 the power unit regulations. I had a scenario in Japan where the battery deployment triggered, even though I didn\u2019t really want it to, and I had to overtake Lewis as a result.<\/p>\n \u201cThat meant I was then a sitting duck on the next straight, where I had actually wanted to use the battery.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, that\u2019s taking too much control away from the driver, but I know that the FIA and all the stakeholders of the sport are looking into it: there has been good dialogue with the FIA on this topic, so I am confident that something will be done for when we go racing in Miami again.<\/p>\n \u201cOne important point though, is that we\u2019re glad the fans are enjoying the racing, because we\u2019re an entertainment sport at the end of the day.<\/p>\n \u201cFans want to see us out on track battling each other and the limits of grip. We need to avoid artificial elements of racing where we can, but we\u2019re not too far away from achieving that and having a really exciting era of racing.\u201d<\/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