Lando Norris makes U-turn on 2026 F1 cars: ‘I agree with Verstappen on a lot’

Reigning Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris now admits “I agree” with Max Verstappen “on a lot of comments” bashing the 2026 cars.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has been the new generation of car’s biggest critic across pre-season testing so far, branding the 2026 challengers as “anti-racing” and “Formula E on steroids”.

A number of drivers have joined him in criticising the new cars, particularly around the amount of energy management that is needed on the power units.

Lando Norris hit back at Verstappen’s comments when asked about them last week at the Bahrain test.

However, on Thursday, after topping the first session of day two of the second test, he said he deliberately wanted to offer a different view and admits he actually agrees with a lot of the criticism of the new cars.

“Honestly, I just wanted to say that I didn’t want to complain about anything,” he began.

“I just wanted to see what the reaction was of everyone.

“It’s been quite an amusing week seeing the reactions of everyone and, certainly, it made a lot of people comment and say a lot of things.

“But I just wanted to see everyone’s reaction; it’s been amusing. But the cars are very different.”

Norris brands 2026 F1 cars as ‘not pure racing’

Norris added that he finds the 2026 cars fun to drive, but does concede that they do not offer “the purest form of racing”.

“Are they as enjoyable to drive as last year? Absolutely not,” he continued.

“Is it still a challenge and good fun out there? Yeah. I’m certainly not going to change my job for anything else, I still have fun and it’s still the job I love to do.

“It’s certainly very different. Is it as pure, is it as beautiful to drive last year, does it look as incredible?

“Definitely not, and I agree with Max on a lot of comments; probably most of the comments I agree with.

“But it’s not that I don’t have fun out there. There’s two sides: basically, I agree with every other drive because every other driver has made their comments pretty clear.

“I just didn’t want to come to the media and complain on the first week back. I want to still enjoy my time and say what I feel.

“But I had fun last week, I’ve still been having fun out there now. And I think as a championship, with Formula 1 and the FIA, we will try to improve the car.

“It’s certainly not the purest form of racing, and that’s what Formula 1 should be.

“A lot of the driving is focused on trying to get the battery working properly and less focused as how as a drive can you get everything out of the car.

“So, I fully agree with a lot of the comments. I just wanted to see everyone’s reaction to me saying something different.”