Ahead of the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, McLaren driver Lando Norris backed Fernando Alonso’s criticism of F1’s new generation of cars.
Both drivers say the sport’s sweeping 2026 regulations have changed the core task of driving an F1 car.
Norris said the new rules force drivers to manage energy rather than chase pure speed through corners. Alonso earlier said the most demanding corners in the sport no longer test a driver’s courage in the same way.
The comments came during media sessions before the race weekend in China. The debate has grown since the season began, especially after qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix highlighted how much drivers now lift off the throttle to charge their batteries.
The 2026 regulation overhaul and its consequences
Formula 1 introduced a major rule change for 2026. The new power units split energy almost evenly between the combustion engine and electric power.
That balance has forced drivers to harvest energy much more often during a lap. They now lift off the throttle early into corners and might even downshift on short straights to charge the battery.
Lewis Hamilton noted that drivers once lifted and coasted mainly to save fuel or protect tyres. Now they do it as a core part of performance.
The change has altered the philosophy of driving. Instead of pushing the car as hard as possible through every corner, drivers often slow down on purpose to recharge energy for later in the lap.
Alonso mourns the loss of fearless cornering
Fernando Alonso described the shift as the loss of one of Formula 1’s defining challenges. Speaking before the Chinese Grand Prix, the two-time world champion said several famous corners once demanded bravery and precision.
He pointed to corners such as Turn 12 in Bahrain, Turn 11 in Melbourne, the opening sector at Suzuka, the famous 130R at Suzuka, and Turns 7 and 8 in Shanghai.
“There were always certain corners that in Formula 1 were challenging the limits of the physics going through those corners, and the driver had to use all the skills and be brave in some of the moments as well,” Alonso told Motorsport.
“When you put new tyres, and you go through the corner at the speed that you’ve never been before in any of the free practices, that challenge is gone in a way. You use those corners to charge the battery, not anymore to make the lap time,” the Spaniard added.
Alonso said he still enjoys racing and accepts that the sport evolves. But he admitted he prefers the earlier era because he grew up pushing the limits through corners.
“But yeah, it is a different challenge,” Alonso said. “And because I grew up on the other one and I was challenging myself in the corners, I probably prefer the other one. But I was super lucky to race in that era, and I still feel lucky that I race now, so I like both.”
Lando Norris echoes this view, calls it a complete reset
When reporters asked Norris about Alonso’s comments at the Chinese Grand Prix media day, he quickly agreed.
The McLaren driver said drivers now focus on managing the power unit rather than pushing the car to the absolute limit.
“I think you can still make a difference as a driver by driving the power unit in the correct way, but not by necessarily driving the car in a much better way,” Norris said, according to ESPN.
He used Spa-Francorchamps as an example. Norris said corners such as Pouhon once showed which driver could carry the most speed.
“You’re not going to go into Pouhon now and see who has the biggest balls,” he said. “You’re just going to see who can lift at the correct point and use the amount of throttle that you have to use, that doesn’t use the power, that doesn’t use the battery.”
Norris said the change feels strange for drivers. They must hold back in places where instinct tells them to push harder.
He described the shift as a complete reset. Drivers must forget much of what they learned in junior series such as Formula 4, Formula 3, and Formula 2.
The driver’s role has changed, not disappeared
Despite his criticism, Norris said drivers still make a difference.
He believes the role of the driver has changed rather than disappeared.
“It’s just been altered, I think, quite a lot,” the reigning world champion said. “It’s gone from just seeing how you can optimise every single millisecond out of the car itself and purely from a driver, car… forget about the engine because that was always pretty good for everyone, let’s say. It was just who can get the most out of the car on that given day. That was it.”
Lando Norris pointed to George Russell as a driver who has adapted well. He said the championship leader understands how to combine the chassis and the power unit to get the best performance.
Even so, Norris said the new driving style is not something most drivers dreamed of when they started their careers.
A wider mood in the paddock
The concern does not stop with Norris and Alonso.
Max Verstappen recently compared the feel of the new cars to the all-electric Formula E series. He joked before the Chinese Grand Prix that his best preparation had been playing Mario Kart.
The remark drew laughs across the paddock, but it also captured a deeper concern among drivers. Many say the sport now rewards energy management as much as raw driving skill.
Opinions across the grid remain mixed. Some drivers accept the challenge of adapting to the new system, while others miss the older style that demanded maximum speed and courage through every corner.
