Lando Norris has revealed how the new Formula 1 regulations will leave fans seeing “more chaos” due to the “complicated” nature of the cars which will take to the grid.
The 2026 season begins a new regulations cycle for the sport, and in many ways, is perhaps the most radical the sport has ever seen.
With the 80-20 hybrids now 50-50 and new active aerodynamics, cars require a new level of management throughout races, as well as a whole new strategic element to overtaking.
Drivers will now be required to harvest energy across every lap, and racecraft now takes on an added feeling of a chess game played on asphault.
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-120x86.webp)
The already complex nature of driving an F1 car has been increased, with drivers set to be metaphorically spinning plates during races.
For defending World Champion Norris, it seems that it will be a case of the drivers that will possess the intellectual capacity to manage the cars will be those who succeed.
“At the minute, I think there’s a bit more emphasis on how the driver can manage and handle all of these things,” the McLaren driver said.
“Both in a qualifying lap but also in a racing situation, I think it’s going to be more complicated to understand, like how do you prepare overtakes.
“Before, it was pretty simple in terms of you drive as quickly as possible but avoid the dirty air, and it was quite easy to build up the battery in a good way and efficient way.
“Now, when you save battery, you’re going to lose a lot of time and lose a lot on the straights.
“So, it’s just understanding these things. A lot of it is engineering and calculations, but the drivers still generally have to do the job on track in applying all of these things.
“So, I think you’re going to see more chaos in races where a driver is going to have to be on top of all these different situations that can happen.
“And it will happen throughout the whole year. I think there’s more emphasis on how the drivers handle these things.”
READ MORE – Lando Norris makes intriguing 2026 F1 car comparison – ‘I don’t know if I like that or not’
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-350x250.webp)
![Alpine Managing Director Steve Nielsen [pictured with Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore] is stern in his belief Mercedes has acted correctly](https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Alpine-Steve-Nielsen-Flavio-Briatore-360x180.webp)
Discussion about this post