Reigning world champion Lando Norris speaks openly ahead of the race in Hungary about what bothers him about the current direction of the Formula 1 World Championship
According to Lando Norris, modern Formula 1 is no longer primarily about the sport, but above all about business. A reality that the reigning world champion, as he explained to reporters, does not find appealing at all.
“It’s really a shame,” he said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, “that Formula 1 is primarily about the fact that it’s a business these days, and not about how to build the best possible sport.”
“It’s simply about how you can make the most money, and it just shouldn’t be that way. That’s not how a sport should be run.”
The world champion’s remarks come against the backdrop of this year’s Formula 1 cars. For months, there has been discussion about the new hybrid engines and the once-targeted 50-50 split between electric and internal combustion components. No one is satisfied with the compromise solution that was originally proposed, which is why discussions are already underway regarding the next engine formula.
One of the aspects of the new Formula 1 that takes some getting used to is that drivers often speak of a certain degree of unpredictability in the engines.
Instead of controlling the power unit’s output solely with the accelerator pedal, AI systems often intervene in the drivers’ driving style. Anyone who can’t adapt to this precisely lap after lap quickly loses lap time.
“They’re listening to us,” says Norris, “but you can’t just change the engine in the middle of the year. You can’t even change it with a year or two’s notice, because it’s not about building the best possible car.”
“It is,” as Norris repeats, “a business. Everyone wants to make money, and in order for Audi and other teams to [enter the sport], we had to change these things. That’s really a shame, and it should never have been that way. But that’s just how business works.”
With the new engine regulations, Formula 1 has managed to attract Audi, Honda, and Cadillac to the sport. Ahead of the Monaco race weekend, the company with the four rings emphasized that it wouldn’t be opposed to a V8 solution with turbo components. However, the focus of the McLaren driver’s statements is entirely different.
“The drivers should always have the most influential voice. And that’s not because of our selfishness, but because we understand best what racing should be like, what it can be like, what’s possible, and what isn’t. We simply want what’s best for everyone, and right now, that’s exactly what we don’t have.”
“We have,” said the world champion, “very, very little influence. That’s because when you have Audi and other teams on board, that’s a bigger win than happy drivers.”
A new engine regulation is expected to take effect in Grand Prix racing by 2031 at the latest. Current plans call for a reduction in the electric component and suggest the use of a V8 engine. Officially, these plans are not yet set in stone.