Norris Not Impressed By F1’s New Regulations This Season

LONDON, March 7 (Bernama-PA Media/dpa) -- Lando Norris said Formula 1’s new regulations “suck” as the world champion claimed “we have gone from the best cars ever made to the worst,” PA Media/dpa reported.

The McLaren driver will start his title defence at Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix from only sixth, with Mercedes holding a clear advantage over the rest of the field.

Norris, who trailed pole-sitter George Russell by almost a second, had refrained from taking aim at the new regulations where drivers are now being forced to manage their car’s battery health over a lap.

But after his disappointing qualifying performance in Melbourne, the British driver said: “We’ve come from the best cars ever made in Formula 1, and the nicest to drive, to probably the worst. It sucks.

“You have to live with it but everyone knows what the issues are. It’s just the fact the engine is a 50-50 split (between combustion and electrical energy) and it just doesn’t work.

“There are a lot of issues at hand. You decelerate so much before corners, you have to lift everywhere to make sure the battery pack is at the top level, but if the pack’s too high, you’re also screwed.

“It’s just difficult, but it’s what we have. It doesn’t feel good as a driver, but I’m sure George is smiling. We have to live with it.”

McLaren had to patch up Norris’ front wing with duct tape in Q3 after he ran over a cooling fan deposited by Kimi Antonelli.

Two fans were erroneously left on the right-hand sidepod of Antonelli’s Mercedes as he emerged from the pits.

One ended up in the gravel at the opening corner, and the other on the straight which Norris drove over, smashing it into hundreds of pieces.

Norris said: “I’m looking at my steering wheel, and that is why I didn’t see the debris.

“I need to look at the speed I’m going to get at the end of the straight to know if I need a brake 30 metres earlier or 10 metres later. And that’s also another problem.”

-- BERNAMA-PA MEDIA/dpa