Lando Norris spared no criticism of the new generation of Formula 1 cars, following the qualifying session for the Australian GP in Melbourne, where he will start in sixth position. The McLaren driver described the car as ‘strange’ and highlighted how small losses of rhythm can significantly impact performance on the track.
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“This car is strange. It all comes down to getting into the rhythm of lifting off at various moments to go faster, using gears you wouldn’t normally use and understanding when to lift more and brake later. But you need to brake less, and that’s why every lap is worth more than ever,” Norris stated.
The Briton said that adaptation is more difficult compared to previous generation cars: “In the past, if I missed FP1, I didn’t worry, I always trusted that I could get back into the rhythm. Now, if you lose five laps, not only do you need to adjust faster, but the engine also doesn’t learn what it needs to learn, and you already start at a disadvantage. I’m even satisfied with P6. It doesn’t look great compared to what we were used to, but it could be much worse. I’m happy with the improvements made during the session,” he said.
Norris agreed with Max Verstappen’s criticisms of the current cars, highlighting the difficulties of maintaining constant attention on the steering wheel and managing speed: “You need to look at the steering wheel every three seconds to know what’s going to happen, otherwise, you’ll go off track. Max is usually right in his analyses,” he added.
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The British driver also evaluated the performance difference between the teams: “Mercedes obviously understood it better. They have a good team and also their own engine. They understood faster than we did, and we’ll get there, it’ll just take some time,” he concluded.
In summary, Norris reinforces that Formula 1 has gone from producing some of the best cars in its history to current models that, in the view of most drivers, offer more challenges and less pleasure behind the wheel. This perception is shared by other names in the category, such as Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, and especially Verstappen, who have also expressed dissatisfaction with the new generation of cars.
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