Lando Norris shares his first expectations for the races of the new season. The Brit said this after logging his first kilometres in the MCL40, his team McLaren’s 2026 car, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Norris is predicting above all more ‘chaos in races’ during the coming season: ‘That is, however, great for the fans.’
Formula 1 is on the eve of one of the biggest changes in the premier class ever. Both the chassis and the engine regulations are being overhauled simultaneously in 2026, and the deployment of the increasing electrical power of the power unit will from now on play a decisive role.
‘More chaos’
Although a lot of uncertainty remains over how the rule changes will play out on race day, Lando Norris does know one thing for sure. “You’ll see more chaos in races where a driver needs to be better across the range of different situations that can occur,” the reigning world champion predicts during a press appearance at the McLaren Technology Centre. “And that will happen all season long, I’d say. There’s more emphasis on drivers’ ability to keep all of these things under control.”
The McLaren driver agrees with fellow driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli that the use of the new ‘boost button’, which delivers an extra burst of electrical power, and the effect that has on how the battery charges, will be central to the new F1 season. “You can force other drivers into more varied positions. You can also potentially race in better ways than you could in the past,” Norris said. “And that is probably a better thing.”
Norris shared his first conclusions after driving the MCL40 for the first time in Barcelona last week. The driver believes the new engines, together with the need to manage energy even more tightly, will produce more overtakes. “You’ll see more overtaking manoeuvres with extra speed. But then that person may have to defend more than you’ve seen in the past. That will create more chaos. That is great for you (the F1 fans, ed.).”
