- Management silences Norris during a tense interview about new 2026 regulations.
- McRae reveals awkwardness as McLaren block questions on Verstappen and Mercedes.
- Norris praises 2026 car handling while slamming the new power unit rules.
Lando Norris was recently interviewed by Donald McRae from The Guardian, discussing a wide range of topics surrounding his 2025 championship win, mental health struggles, and McLaren’s 2026 car improvement moving forward.
Towards the end of their conversation, the writer asked him a question about the new regs, which Norris’ management stopped him from answering. Not just that, but Norris was also blocked from responding to questions around Max Verstappen and George Russell, which raised eyebrows. McRae also revealed that before the interview, he was sent a message that he should avoid asking questions related to the aforementioned topics. He revealed that Norris left the room smilingly awkwardly.
Norris’ management refuses to allow him to answer specific questions
According to McRae’s article, he revealed that with just 10 minutes left for the interview to wind up, he asked Norris about the current F1 regulations. However, his manager, who wasn’t present physically but on the phone, immediately stepped in to say that there should be no questions asked about it. Despite the management blocking the question, the journalist turned to Norris to stress why his answers matter over this important subject.
A representative comes in and tells the media professional that the time is over. Given there were 10 minutes left, he asked Norris if he could grant him the remaining time for other questions, but he stated clearly that he’s not the “boss.” The article states that Norris was happy to answer the question, but the representative blocked him from doing that, creating awkwardness around the room.
McRae then went on to ask him if it’s possible to catch Mercedes this year, but the representative refused Norris from answering such a light-hearted question. Even Norris looked confused and irritated, but eventually gave a straightforward answer and got out of the weird situation. He said, “Yes [Mercedes] can [be caught] and we’re doing our best to make sure it’ll be us who do that.”
He was also asked about Verstappen’s retirement, but Norris said that he had no idea and that the 4-time world champ can do whatever he likes. Norris’ representative later approached the journalist and spoke briefly on his behalf about Verstappen. The spokesperson said, “He’s an amazing guy. Max is the best person ever, and we love him. Quote.”
Norris and his criticism of new F1 regs
Aside from Verstappen, Norris has also been very open about the criticism of modern-day F1, often observed speaking about topics including safety concerns, battery management issues, and poor handling. He also expressed frustration over how drivers’ viewpoints on the new rules are seemingly being overlooked, as he believes fans’ enjoyment is being given more priority over those actually racing.
In a recent interview, Norris clarified his stance on what exactly he’s struggling with when it comes to new regs, and it definitely has nothing to do much with the new McLaren-developed car. “This year, the cars are much lower downforce and much more on the limit. You can catch slides more easily, and the slightly lower grip makes for a very exciting car to drive. As a car, I’m enjoying driving them, they remind me of some of the cars I drove coming up through the junior series, and I say that as a big compliment, you really feel like you can make a difference. I’ve said before that it’s not the car I’m struggling with, it’s the bit behind us that I’m not enjoying as much – the power unit regulations,” he explained.
