Lando Norris has warned that Formula One is in danger of having a major accident that could injure fans as well as drivers after the season\u2019s first race in Melbourne. The world champion was one of many drivers expressing discontent at the sport\u2019s new direction over the weekend, but other senior figures in F1 have called for time to adapt to the new rules.<\/p>\n
Norris finished fifth for McLaren at the Australian Grand Prix, which was won by the Mercedes driver George Russell<\/a>. F1 has adopted complex regu\u00adlations that require management of electrical energy. That includes the use of an overtake mode, allowing cars to apply extra power during a lap against rivals that may be slowing as they recharge their battery.<\/p>\n F1 rule changes<\/a><\/p>\n The changes were being tested in race conditions for the first time and Norris was dismissive of the results. \u201cIt is chaos, and we are going to have a big accident,\u201d he said. \u201cWhich is a shame because we are driving, and the ones just waiting for something to happen and to go quite horribly wrong, and that is not a nice position to be in.<\/p>\n \u201cDepending on what drivers do, you can have closing speeds of 30-50kph, and when someone hits another driver at that speed you are going to fly and go over the fence and do a lot of damage to yourself and maybe to others, and that is a pretty horrible thing to think about.\u201d<\/p>\n The British driver was not alone in his assessment of the new formula on its first outing at Albert Park. Max \u00adVerstappen, who finished an impressive sixth from 20th on the grid, has been \u00adoutspoken in his criticism of how the new cars have to be driven. The four-time champion added to what has been a chorus of dissent over the opening weekend of the season.<\/p>\n \u201cI love racing but you can only take so much,\u201d Verstappen said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think F1 and the FIA [the \u00adgoverning body] are willing to listen, but I hope there is some action. It is not that I am the only one saying it. We are not critical just to be critical. We are critical for a reason. We want it to be proper Formula One<\/a> on steroids, but today that wasn\u2019t the case.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen, who has threatened to leave the sport if he stops enjoying it, said: \u201cI do love racing and I want it to be better than this.\u201d<\/p>\n Various other drivers also criticised the \u201cartificial\u201d nature of the push-to-pass overtake system using electrical energy, which led to places being exchanged repeatedly across a lap as a matter of course \u2013 but others felt the new rules had legs.<\/p>\n \u201cI personally loved it,\u201d said Lewis Hamilton<\/a>, who finished fourth for Ferrari after taking the fight to \u00adMercedes alongside his teammate Charles Leclerc. \u201cI thought the race was really fun to drive. I thought the car was really, really fun to drive. I watched the cars ahead, there was a good back and forth. So far, so good.\u201d<\/p>\n