Lando Norris summarizes the 2026 regulations after the shakedown in Barcelona – The Brit fears chaotic situations due to the new boost system
It’s the beginning of a new era: Formula 1 drivers got their first taste of the 2026 generation cars at the shakedown in Barcelona. While the FIA and Liberty Media are hoping for more spectacle, Lando Norris is somewhat skeptical about the new rules. The Briton fears that certain elements of the regulations could lead to “more chaotic races.”
From 2026, the premier class will undergo a fundamental overhaul. The cars will be shorter, narrower, and lighter. At the heart of the new design is the new powertrain, which has a ratio of combustion engine to electric motor of almost 50:50.
In addition, active aerodynamics will be used on the front and rear wings to minimize drag on the straights. However, the most striking feature for duels is the new boost mode, which will replace the previous DRS.
Overtaking in unusual places?
Although the shakedown in Barcelona did not yet deliver any real wheel-to-wheel duels, the drivers were already able to simulate how the additional power affects lap times. Norris sees this as a double-edged sword.
“You could almost see more chaotic races, depending on when people press the boost button,” explains the McLaren star. “There are many straights and sections, take Barcelona as an example, where you normally use hardly any battery power, such as between turns 5 and 7. But if you use the boost there, you get a decent amount of horsepower and can overtake someone before turn 7. You’ve never seen that there before.”
The threat of the “yo-yo effect”
But there’s a catch: electrical energy is limited. If you use it up in one place, you’ll soon be left empty-handed. “The problem is that you’re then stuck until Turn 10,” says Norris.
Nevertheless, he also sees the potential: “You’ll be able to force your opponents into different positions and potentially make the racing better than in the past. And I think that’s probably a good thing.”
Boost mode unleashes the maximum power of the powertrain or activates a configuration predefined by the teams. It can be used for both attack and defense—provided the battery is full enough. Norris believes this could lead to a “yo-yo effect” where drivers are constantly overtaking each other. “You’ll see people overtaking, maybe not even because they’re much faster, but simply because they can. But that means you need a lap or two to recharge the battery properly.”
Hope for spectacle for the fans
Once a driver has been overtaken, they in turn benefit from a higher top speed in the slipstream – Norris talks about 5 to 10 kilometers per hour more on the straights, which is close to the effect of the old DRS.
“You’ll see more position changes, more maneuvers with excess speed. But that person may then have to defend more than before. That will cause more chaos – which is great for you [the media and fans], of course,” smiles the Brit.
The full extent of the new technology’s impact will only become clear over the course of the season. Norris expects the teams to experiment more with the system during the upcoming test drives in Bahrain from February 11 to 13 and February 18 to 21. Things will get serious on March 6 at the season opener in Australia.