Lando Norris believes the recent rule changes introduced by Formula 1 will have little impact on this weekend’s races.
Last week the FIA unveiled a package of 11 rule adjustments, most coming into force this weekend, intended to address issues with the sport’s revamped 2026 technical regulations. The revisions aim to tackle several concerns raised by drivers and teams since the new power unit format and aerodynamic rules were introduced.
Norris was one of the first drivers to warn about the dangers posed by increased closing speeds between cars, a problem highlighted by Oliver Bearman’s crash at Suzuka. Many drivers have also complained about the drop in performance during qualifying caused by the characteristics of the new power units.
He said the qualifying situation should improve but expects race conditions to remain largely the same.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” Norris said. “But it’s also a lot of things we just have to get used to.” He added: “The qualifying should certainly be a bit better. In the race, nothing really changes.”
Norris noted there are “many things” he would change about the current rules, but acknowledged that immediate alterations are limited by wider interests and stakeholders.
“So it is in the [right] direction, but it’s also not just about what we want as drivers,” he explained. “You also have to please teams and the bosses and other companies and all of these kind of people. There’s plenty of things.”
He also warned that resolving all the shortcomings in the new regulations may take time.
“I think everyone is pretty aligned in saying there’s a lot of things that people want in the future,” Norris said. “Whether that’s in one year, two years, three years’ time, we don’t know. So for the time being I think we’re taking some steps forward, but hopefully it’s the first of many.”
Max Verstappen shared a similar perspective, describing the package as “a tickle in the right direction.” “But hopefully next year we can make bigger changes then,” he added.
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2026 Japanese Grand Prix
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