Lando Norris delivers damning verdict on Formula 1's new regulations after Silverstone

The reigning world champion managed to wrestle his McLaren into top three contention in both the sprint and the Grand Prix at his home British Grand Prix.

His Saturday third was followed by fourth on Sunday, missing out on a return to the iconic Silverstone podium.

The race was instead won by Ferrari’s Charles Lelerc ahead of Mercedes George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.

Missing out on the post-race festivities, Norris went on to give a damning take on how this new era of regulations changed the Silverstone experience.

With power now split even more between internal combustion and batteries for the 2026 regulations, cars were back harvesting their energy on a track famed for its flat out kinks and turns.

Speaking to GPBlog among others, Norris wasn’t best pleased:

This year’s 50-50 engine split has caused endless debate with many drivers critical, particularly Max Verstappen.

FIA, F1, the teams and engine makers have already made tweaks to this year’s rule after some unsatisfying qualifying sessions where drivers weren’t going flat out in order to save energy.

There was also a high profile incident in Japan where Franco Colapinto’s energy harvesting saw Ollie Bearman caught out by the slowing Alpine, resulting in a terrifying crash.

Adjustments have since been made to the amount of energy that can be recovered and the power of recovery when on full throttle.

That also saw the so-called ‘yo-yo racing’ relent in less power-dependent tracks such as Monaco, but the issues came straight back out at Silverstone.

Things likely won’t improve until next season, when F1 have agreed to change the power split, increasing the internal combustion to battery power ratio to 58-42 in 2027 and then 60-40 in 2028.

Speaking to the BBC ahead of the British Grand Prix, Norris discussed the coming rule changes, but was similarly unhopeful:

Asked if it’s still enjoyable, he added: “It’s just different. At times, people hate change; people hated the halo. Eventually, you get used to it, and it becomes the new normal.