F1 drivers slam 2026 racing: ‘We’re waiting for it to go horribly wrong’

A number of leading Formula 1 drivers have slammed the first race with the 2026 cars, with Lando Norris branding it “artificial” and believes “we’re going to have a big accident”.

The new-for-2026 car regulations are aimed at improving the on-track spectacle, following years of processional running with the previous ground effect generation of machinery.

The new power unit rules have taken a lot of flak since the winter, though the early stages of the 2026 Australian Grand Prix did provide an exciting duel between eventual winner George Russell and Charles Leclerc.

But McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was a distant fifth, doubled down on his criticisms, noting that the energy management taking place is risking major incidents.

“Even worse. I don’t know, it’s just not as fun as last year,” he told the media on Sunday, following his “worst cars” comment on Saturday.

“It’s chaos. We’re going to have a big accident, which is a shame that you’re kind of driving and we’re the ones just waiting for something to happen and waiting to go quite horribly wrong.

“And that’s not a nice position to be in. There’s nothing we can really do about that now.

“It’s a shame. It’s really artificial, depending on what the power unit decides to do and randomly does at times.

“You just get overtaken by five cars and can do nothing about it. So, there’s nothing we can change about it, so there’s no point in saying more. Not for me.

“You can have 30, 40, 50km/h speed [differences] and when someone hits you at that speed you’re going to fly, you’re going to go over the fence, and do a lot of damage to yourself and others. And that’s a pretty horrible thing to think about.”

Russell offered a counterpoint during the post-race press conference, stating that Norris’ criticism would be different if he was more competitive at this stage.

2026 cars “not the F1 I remember”

Max Verstappen was similarly disgruntled after the Australian Grand Prix, offering no change in tune from his current position on the new rules.

“Yeah, chaos. Honestly, I don’t really find the right words for it,” he said.

“For me, I passed them regardless because we were like two seconds a lap faster.

“But I don’t really know what word to use. I think they should focus on the rules.

“I give my opinion on what I want to see, because I do care about the sport, I do love racing.

“I want it to be better than this. So, let’s see what we can do. Hopefully, we can come up with some solutions this year so it becomes more enjoyable for everyone.”

His Red Bull team-mate, Isack Hadjar, commented: “I don’t see how the racing is good.

“At least for me, when I am seeing cars going by everywhere, I don’t see how that is a step forward.”

Cadillac’s Sergio Perez, who was 16th on his return to racing having sat out the entirety of the 2025 season, claimed: “It’s a very different Formula 1 to what I was used to. It’s a lot less fun, definitely, [on the] racing side.”