The new Formula 1 rules introduced this weekend have not eliminated some unwanted behaviours in qualifying, according to Lando Norris.
The sprint race pole-sitter said drivers can still lose time because changes in how they deploy energy when taking corners faster on flying laps can penalise them. That was one of the concerns raised by drivers about the consequences of the rule changes, and Norris hopes the issue will be addressed in future updates.
“I think some things remain as expected,” Norris said. “There are still certain points where the quicker you go, the more penalised you get. That’s something we want to fix as drivers going forward.”
Norris argues qualifying should encourage drivers to push to the limit, rather than force them to alter lines or throttle application to avoid energy penalties.
“As Formula 1 drivers, you want to be flat-out everywhere and maximise the lap,” he said. “You don’t want to go quicker somewhere on a qualifying lap and be penalised for it. That’s not how it should be.”
Despite his criticisms, Norris welcomed some of the improvements brought by the new regulations. “It seems to be moving in the right direction, and I think we’re more likely to see a bigger benefit at other tracks,” he said.
“As drivers, we’ll probably always complain a bit — that’s what we do — but I do think it’s a step forward. It’s got better.”
Norris added that much of his qualifying on Friday felt more natural under the new rules.
“For the majority of my laps on Friday you could push without constantly thinking, ‘I need to lift earlier’ or ‘I need to avoid getting on the throttle as much.’ It felt a little more normal, and that was a positive change.”
Overall, Norris believes the rule adjustments are an improvement but says further refinements are needed so drivers can exploit the car’s performance on qualifying laps without being inadvertently penalised by energy deployment mechanics.