Why Lando Norris isn’t worried by rival innovations in F1 2026

Lando Norris says teams have to accept that a rival may have done a better job with its all-new F1 2026 car.

Shakedown testing in Barcelona revealed a host of novel solutions, from Ferrari’s front wing pillars to Aston Martin’s suspension and Mercedes’ footplane vane, offering designers plenty to pore over.

Lando Norris: Willing to accept that sometimes people can do a better job

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This season, Formula 1 has introduced new technical regulations with shorter, lighter cars that incorporate active aerodynamics with moveable front and rear wings.

The new cars hit the track last week, and while the test was held behind closed doors, some details were revealed as the teams released photographs of the cars, either from the shakedown or launches.

PlanetF1.com technical editor Matt Somerfield expanded on the various innovations that included Ferrari’s front wing pillars, Aston Martin’s suspension and even the seemingly minor ones such as the vane on the footplane of the Mercedes W17.

More on Matt Somerfield’s technical analysis of the F1 2026 cars

Innovative floor and front wing solutions lead Ferrari’s SF-26 A-spec unveiling

Adrian Newey masterclass revealed as Aston Martin AMR26 dissected

Mercedes W17 reveal raises first technical puzzle of F1 2026

And then there are the engines.

This season five manufacturers will power the 11 teams with reports claiming Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains found a loophole in the working of the regulations that allows them to run a higher compression ratio out on track.

While the ratio is set at 16:1, that’s when it is measured in “ambient” conditions as per the FIA regulations, and their ratios increase when the engine begins running. Said to be worth 15bhp, that could be as much as four-tenths per lap.

But rather than get down over rivals finding innovative solutions, reigning World Champion Norris says the teams have to accept that someone has done a better job and then set about reeling them in.

“There’s always that element of looking at others, that’s also just part of the sport,” he told F1TV during the Barcelona shakedown.

“You look at others, see what other great minds have come up with, what ideas they’ve come up with, see how you can learn from it, incorporate it, avoid it, whatever it may be.

“You always have to be willing to accept that sometimes people can do a better job and you want to learn from them.

“I’m happy with the team’s efforts and everything we’ve done so far this year, but yeah, it’s going to be a long year, so we’ll keep working hard, we’ll make sure everyone’s happy and take it from there.”

McLaren completed the opening shakedown with the third fastest time, Norris 0.25s down on Lewis Hamilton with George Russell second fastest.

Norris and McLaren will have their second outing in the MCL40 at the Bahrain circuit later this month in a three-day test that runs from 11-13 February. They’ll return to the Sakhir circuit later in the month before heading to Melbourne for FP1 on 6 March.

Although the teams still have six days of testing before the start of the Australian Grand Prix weekend, Norris says it could be a very unpredictable week as the drivers continue to hone their energy management skills while also getting on top of the active aerodynamics.

Asked if it could be a “little bit wilder” than other weekends, he told PlanetF1.com and select media: “I would say so.

“I mean, there’s still places on the track where you can still do quite a few different things. And it might be that the systems learn and the calculations work out for everyone, it’s all going to be the same, and everyone’s lifting in the same places and doing same things.

“There’s more chances nowadays, especially at the beginning of the show, where you might have people saving a bit more in one half of the track and deploying more on the other half of the track, another team doing vice versa.

“So you can, especially in the racing situation, that can create more more difficulties and more racing and more opportunities.

“It’s hard to give like a proper answer, because I don’t think we’ve done enough and enough different tracks to understand everything properly.

“Because it’s not simple. We’ll take a bit more time, there’s also quite a lot to understand.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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