Strong and uncompromising words have emerged from the McLaren camp following a Miami Grand Prix in which both drivers were among the main protagonists. Lando Norris is far from satisfied with the new technical regulations, despite having initially appreciated them during the very first pre-season tests in Barcelona. A similar view is shared by his teammate Oscar Piastri, who remains unconvinced about the real effectiveness of the changes introduced for this phase of the Formula 1 season.
The efforts made to improve the situation are evident, but in terms of overtaking purity and overall driving quality, there is still significant room for improvement, as the Bristol-born driver himself explained: “It’s a small step in the right direction, but it’s still not at the level that Formula 1 should reach.” With even leading figures in the paddock expressing concern, the sport now finds itself under increasing pressure to respond.
Norris: the problems with the new F1 are almost impossible to fix
The main objective of the latest regulatory changes, beyond safety, was to allow drivers to push flat-out during qualifying while reducing the need to constantly recharge the car’s battery. However, due to the specific characteristics of the Miami circuit, the amount of recoverable electrical energy (8 megajoules) ended up being exactly the same as in Suzuka. As a result, the final outcome was almost identical, limiting the intended benefits of the new rules.
Lando Norris has therefore expressed clear frustration with the nature of the current technical regulations and hopes that meaningful improvements can be introduced in the future. Speaking to the media, he stated: “I said it yesterday regarding qualifying: if you push at the maximum for the entire lap without doing any kind of management, you get penalised. You can’t go flat-out everywhere relying purely on your driving ability. It doesn’t make sense to be penalised for things like this, but that’s how it is.”
Norris went even further, suggesting that a complete solution may only come through a radical change, potentially involving the removal of hybrid systems altogether: “So honestly, I don’t think the situation can be fully solved: you would have to remove the battery, and hopefully in a few years that will be possible.”
The strong tone used by the McLaren driver could also reflect a degree of frustration at seeing Mercedes consistently ahead in terms of performance. For this reason, his statements should be interpreted with some caution, as should those of his teammate.
Piastri: closing speeds are still too high
Oscar Piastri, despite smiling after securing a podium finish in Miami, did not hold back in his criticism of the current regulations and the changes introduced for the race weekend: “The races are pretty much identical, and I think today (referring to Sunday) was my first real experience of overtaking and then defending a position. It’s quite crazy, to be honest.”
He then expanded on his battle with George Russell, using it as a clear example to explain the current overtaking and defensive dynamics in Formula 1: “At one point George was a second behind me and still managed to pass me at the end of that straight,” he explained.
“It’s a bit random. The closing speeds are huge and trying to anticipate them, as the defending driver, is incredibly difficult. From that point of view, not much has changed. I think the collaboration between the FIA and Formula 1 has been positive, but with the hardware we currently have, only a limited number of changes can be made: more fundamental changes are needed.”
Piastri and Norris, whether this is strategic messaging or genuine concern, have made their position very clear: despite the adjustments introduced for the Miami Grand Prix, the current regulations are not delivering the racing spectacle expected at this level. In their view, this is not what Formula 1 should be.
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