Norris blasts new F1 cars in scathing assessment: ‘From best to the worst’

The reigning world champion, who qualified in sixth place for the Australian Grand Prix, did not hesitate to air his scathing thoughts about his dislike for the new cars.

Speaking to GPblog at the Albert Park circuit, Norris described the car as odd, before detailing how he could easily lose his rhythm with even a few missed laps.

“This car is just odd. It's all about getting into the rhythm of lifting everywhere to go quicker, using gears you don't want to use, and understanding when you lift more and then brake later. But you have to brake less, and that's why laps are more valuable than ever,” Norris said.

“In the past, I missed FP1, and I wasn’t too bothered; I always felt confident I could get back up to speed. Now, when you miss five laps, not only do you as a driver have to figure things out quicker, but the engine doesn’t learn what it needs to learn, and you're just on the back foot. I’m actually kind of happy with P6 in the end. It doesn’t sound great given what we’re used to, but it could be a lot worse, and I’m happy with the improvements we made through the session,” the McLaren driver added.

Asked about how depressing the onboard perspectives of the new cars are for drivers, coupled with the comments made by Williams driver Carlos Sainz about the fix to the new-generation cars being largely “plasters on a major problem,” he continued:

“You have to lift everywhere, and if the packs at the top are too high, you’re also screwed. It’s just difficult, but yeah, it’s what we all have. It doesn’t feel good as a driver, but I’m sure George [Russell] is smiling, so it doesn’t really matter at the end of the day. You just have to maximise what you’re given,” Norris added.

When asked about Max Verstappen’s outspoken criticism of the current cars, Norris agreed with the Red Bull Racing driver, acknowledging the Dutchman was usually spot-on with his assessment.

Norris continued, emphasising how Formula 1 has gone from producing some of the best cars ever to the current generation, which he described in stark terms:

“Mercedes have obviously understood that. They would understand quicker than others because they’re a good team, and it’s also their own engine. They’ve understood more than we have, and we’ll get there; it just takes a bit of time,” Norris concluded.

The McLaren driver’s critique adds to a growing chorus of frustration among F1 drivers over the new-generation cars. Like Norris, several drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, have openly voiced their displeasure with the new-generation cars.

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