This weekend, there’s been a lot of talk about the big changes coming to Formula 1 in 2026. Some people are worried that these changes might make the cars slower and less exciting to watch. Lando Norris thinks there could be another problem too.
He’s concerned that these new rules might shake up the grid too much. Right now, the competition in F1 is super close. In the Canadian Grand Prix qualifying, the top seven drivers were separated by just a tiny 0.280 seconds.
Norris says, “I think you’re not going to have days like today again. You’re not going to have days like the last few weeks probably in ‘26, ‘27, ‘28, or pretty much like ‘28, ‘29. So, it’s how it’s always been.”
He’s worried because every time there’s a big rule change, there are often big gaps between the teams. At the end of the last big rule change, things started to get closer again. Red Bull and Mercedes were battling it out, and everyone was getting closer. But then everything spread out again.
Now, it seems like things are getting closer again. But just when they’re getting there, the rules will change again in 2026.
Norris thinks F1 needs to decide what it wants to be. Does it want close racing with stable rules, or does it want to shake things up even if it means teams are further apart?
“It’s not a simple answer. I don’t know the answer, at the same time. I don’t think anyone knows exactly how it’s going to pan out,” Norris says.
He likes the excitement of close racing, where different teams have a chance to win. But he worries that might not happen with the new rules.
Team bosses in F1 met with F1 chiefs and FIA directors to talk about these 2026 rules. They want to make sure the changes don’t make the cars slower and less fun to drive.
