Norris reveals ‘fake’ and ‘scripted’ concern ahead of huge F1 2026 change

Axing DRS in favour of active aerodynamics, Lando Norris has urged Formula 1 to preserve the integrity of racing, and not step into a “fake” and “scripted” scenario next season.

Next season Formula 1 will undergo the biggest technical reset in the sport’s history, putting new cars and new engines on the grid at the same time.

Lando Norris: I don’t want things to be too fake, too scripted

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

The new cars will be smaller, lighter and more agile while the engines will run with a 50/50 split between combustion engine and electrical power.

Amongst the changes is the introduction of active aerodynamics with moveable front and rear wings.

Axing DRS as an overtaking tool, the drivers will instead switch between a high-downforce ‘Z-mode’ for corners and low-drag ‘X-mode’ for straights.

Simply put, using active aerodynamics for the front and rear wings, the cars will having greater cornering speed in ‘Z-mode’ while on the straights, the drivers can swap to ‘X-mode’, a low-drag configuration, to increase straight-line speed.

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The new regulations have been met with some skepticism from drivers, who are worried ‘lift and coast’ will set the tone for the season.

But the battery to ICE power is not the only concern with Norris worried that the active aerodynamics will put an end to the purity of racing.

“It’s different,” he told the media, including PlanetF1.com, of the F1 2026 regulations. “It’s good and different in different ways.

“I think Formula 1, in terms of the pinnacle of motorsport and speed and everything, you don’t get much better than what we’ve had this year and the last few years.

“When we’re going to go into next year, the gaps will be bigger. It doesn’t mean racing is going to be worse. I think there are many things that are going to make racing better.

“I just don’t want to go too artificial with things. I don’t want things to be too fake, too scripted, I don’t think that’s correct.

“That’s not motorsport and that’s not what I like.

“Some things will be better, the cars are going to be even slower straight and in the corners and things like that.

“They’re not going to look as spectacular in terms of performing laps. They’re not going to look as quick because at the end of straights you’re losing speed, you’re decelerating.

“So it’s not going to look as cool or as special.

“I think there are still things I would like more from the car. Just more battery, things like that. We could just have some more normality in it.

“I think it’s a new challenge for everyone so we should all look forward to the challenge of a new car and new regulations.

“That’s also what makes Formula 1 exciting at times. It’s a fresh start for everyone. We look forward to it as a team. I think it’s something we relish. As a driver, we want cars that we can just drive.”

F1 chief Stefano Domenicali has urged the teams and drivers to be open to the new regulations and give it time.

“The mindset is to be open to understand what is happening,” he told The Race.

“Today there are so many theories that everything is possible. The right thing to do is, first of all, not to overreact, because we have seen in our experience of F1… that sometimes there has been always an overcautious approach and things have developed in different ways.

“So I would say, let’s wait and see where we are. And then if there is the need to make some adjustment, we don’t have to do it straight away.

“There is the time to wait a little bit to make sure that we understand exactly what we’re talking about.

“There could be already, potentially, some teams or manufacturers that are thinking how to evolve the development of the car, taking the benefit of the new regulations.

“So the approach will be always to be curious. There will be an incredible attention of the first race of the year….but it is right to say that there is the need to give the right time and the right discussion with the FIA and the teams, to see if there are some big things that we are missing.”

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