Lando Norris has rejected George Russell’s theory that Formula 1’s 2026 cars naturally favour his driving style, arguing instead that his ability to adapt is the real reason he has been able to extract more from the current McLaren. The reigning World Champion believes the new generation of cars bears almost no resemblance to its 2025 predecessor and says adaptability, rather than one particular driving technique, is his greatest strength.
The discussion surrounding Formula 1’s 2026 cars continues, and George Russell’s theory has now encountered significant opposition from Lando Norris. The Mercedes driver had suggested that the new regulations could explain why the balance of performance between several pairs of team-mates has changed so dramatically compared with last season.
George Russell’s theory about 2026 F1 driving styles
The comparisons cited by George Russell are striking. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are much closer in performance than they were in 2025, when the Monegasque driver generally held the upper hand. Lando Norris has established a much clearer advantage over Oscar Piastri after the two McLaren drivers were more evenly matched last season, while Max Verstappen’s superiority over his Red Bull team-mates has also been less pronounced.
Most significantly for George Russell himself, Kimi Antonelli has regularly held the advantage at Mercedes in 2026, whereas the situation was generally reversed a year ago. The Italian’s development has transformed the balance within the team, with Lando Norris recently praising Kimi Antonelli’s performances against George Russell.
According to George Russell’s theory, Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton share certain similarities in their driving styles that naturally suit this generation of Formula 1 cars.
It is an argument that some may find convincing, but Lando Norris has rejected it completely while also delivering an indirect response to his fellow British driver.
“I don’t think I drive the same way as Kimi,” Lando Norris told reporters. “Obviously I’ve never had George or Lewis as team-mates, so I wouldn’t know. He probably has a broader and more accurate overall picture.
“On the other hand, he’s never been my team-mate either, so I don’t think he can speak from direct experience. But my driving style is not ideal for this car.”
Lando Norris says adaptability is his real strength
Lando Norris then explained why he disagrees with the idea that the characteristics of the 2026 McLaren simply happen to suit him. Instead, he believes the work he has done on his driving over the past two seasons has allowed him to adapt more effectively to very different machinery.
“It’s my ability to adapt that allows me to drive the car I have,” Lando Norris explained. “So I think my strength is my adaptability to different driving styles, just as [the car] last year wasn’t necessarily the best thing for me.
“I think last year, at the beginning of the season, [the car] suited Oscar a little more, whereas my strength was being able to adapt better and finally understand how to drive the car more effectively. As a result, I had a better second half of the season, and the same thing is happening this year.”
The difference between the two McLaren drivers has been one of the more notable developments of the 2026 campaign. The reasons behind Oscar Piastri’s difficulties against Lando Norris in the MCL40 have already become an important talking point as McLaren has developed its new-generation car.
Norris says the 2026 F1 car feels almost nothing like its predecessor
The scale of Formula 1’s technical revolution is central to Lando Norris’s argument. Rather than seeing continuity between the car in which he won the World Championship and the current MCL40, the British driver believes virtually everything about the way it must be driven has changed.
“You don’t drive this car in a way that is even remotely comparable to last year’s,” Lando Norris said. “I don’t think even 1% of it is remotely similar.
“So I think it’s wrong to say that my driving style simply suits this car. I think my real strength is my ability to adapt better.”
His comments underline how different the challenge has become under the 2026 regulations. Even within the same team, drivers have had to reassess techniques that previously worked with an entirely different generation of Formula 1 machinery.
For Lando Norris, the important distinction is therefore between having a style that happens to match the car and being able to modify that style according to what the car requires. He argues that the latter explains his performance more accurately.
Norris and Piastri provide a clear example of the 2026 shift
The McLaren comparison is particularly relevant because Lando Norris believes Oscar Piastri initially had the more naturally suitable package in 2025. Norris’s advantage emerged only after he understood how he needed to change his approach, helping him produce a stronger second half of the season.
That trend has continued into 2026, when the two drivers have again responded differently to the characteristics of their machinery. More coverage of their performances and the development of the MCL40 can be found in the McLaren section.
George Russell’s own experience provides the other side of the debate. The Mercedes driver believes common characteristics among some of the drivers thriving under the new rules point towards a particular style being rewarded, while Norris believes the decisive skill is the ability to change rather than possessing that style from the outset.
For the reigning World Champion, at least, his conclusion is clear: the 2026 Formula 1 car has not simply come towards him. He believes he has learned how to go towards it.
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