Lando Norris arrived at the 2026 F1 Hungarian Grand Prix accusing the sport’s leadership of greed and a lack of stewardship. He pulled no punches when addressing Formula 1’s commercial trajectory, arguing those responsible for the direction of F1 are fundamentally changing the identity of the sport and placing corporate revenue ahead of competitive values.
Norris argued that technical decisions—specifically the 2026 engine regulations (a 50/50 hybrid/combustion engine split)—were designed to pander to incoming automotive giants like Audi and Cadillac rather than to make cars faster or better to drive.
“All we think about now is maximising profits, and that’s not how a sport should be… It is no longer about how to make the sport as good as possible. It is primarily about how to make more money. That is not how a sport should be run, and I find that regrettable.”
Profits Over Pure Racing and Driver Voice
Almost to a man, the F1 drivers this year have been highly critical of the direction of travel with the all-new power units, and united they believe there is little weight given to their feedback compared to the commercial stakeholders.
“The biggest voice should always be ours as drivers. We have the best idea of how racing should be, what’s possible, what’s not… But we have very, very little say. Many decisions are made because the presence of Audi and other teams is a bigger victory than simply satisfying the drivers.”
Norris observed the push for a new audience has changed the nature of the fans watching F1, who now care little about the integrity of the racing spectacle and are more interested in personalities following the success of Netflix’s Drive to Survive.
F1 Leadership Dismisses Paddock Backlash
Max Verstappen, too, has been highly critical of the all-new F1, describing it as “Mario Kart” and “Formula E on steroids.” Yet Stefano Domenicali, CEO for the commercial rights holders, ridiculed the comments from Norris and others, retorting that polling numbers show fan engagement this season is higher than in 2025.
This is a remarkable statistic given the highs and lows for Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, and Max Verstappen in the 2025 season along with the 2-point title-deciding margin. Given that the polling is from f1.com devotees, the conclusions are hardly surprising.
While the yo-yo overtakes are obvious to all—as are the cars slowing visibly hundreds of metres before the regular braking points due to a lack of battery power—there are fundamental issues with the new ‘Frankenstein’ cars, which Charles Leclerc now identifies.
Data and Technical Blindspots
Fundamental to racing is data. How a driver’s acceleration and braking patterns compare to his teammate’s has forever and a day been a tool in the drivers’ armoury to improve lap time. Yet the Monegasque driver now reveals that the new engine regulations mean it is no longer possible to dig into the data and work out how to go more quickly.
The bizarre nature of these new power units has proven that even McLaren, who have delivered the best car for the past two seasons, are struggling to understand how to optimise their power unit. Lando Norris’s win in Hungary was the first for the British driver since he became world champion.
Leclerc, who is considered one of the best on the grid, has also had his ups and downs, starting the season in positive fashion before struggling over the early European schedule. Driving styles have been a hot topic in the paddock as theories abound as to which driver is best suited to the new regulations.
Some posit that a more aggressive driving style suits the new engines better, although Leclerc does not believe this is the case—and his moment of enlightenment at Silverstone in fact proved this to be true.
“Well, I think it really depends also on the power units and the way everything is set up,” he told assembled media in Budapest. “And that’s why it’s so difficult with these cars; there are so many different variables that it’s not like in the past, where you could look at the data and say, ‘This is clearly where I’m losing, this is clearly what I’ve got to change with my driving’.
“If you are changing your driving, but the programming is going the other way, you end up being a lot worse than what you were at first.”
It’s just another example of how the car is dictating the racing rather than the person behind the wheel making the difference.
Autonomous Overtaking and Loss of Driver Control
Back at the Japanese Grand Prix, Lando Norris revealed how the programming of his car was making racing decisions that he was not in control of. With the 50/50 split in the power unit between combustion engine and battery—with a 350kW boost—the mapping software automatically reset and reinstated maximum battery deployment as soon as Norris reapplied the throttle.
This involuntary surge of 350kW dumped energy into the rear wheels, shooting the McLaren past Hamilton at the final chicane:
“Honestly, some of the racing, I didn’t even want to overtake Lewis. It’s just my battery deploys, and I don’t want it to deploy, but I can’t control it. So I overtake him, and then I have no battery, so he just flies past,”revealed Norris after the race.
A Turning Point for the Future of F1
Pretending F1 is in rude health is like Infantino denying he had anything to do with the red card for Donald Trump’s US citizen footballer being overturned at the FIFA World Cup. It’s time Stefano Domenicali stepped up for what he knows inside to be right.
Suggesting the views of F1.com registered fans is a reliable bell weather of F1’s direction will presumably see circuit owners being forced to introduce loop the loop sections of track.
Yes, there are tweaks agreed for 2027 to the power units, but the optimum configuration for these monsters will not be seen until 2028. Mohammed Ben Sulayem has promised the future of F1 power will be V8 engines with “very, very little electrification.” Let’s hope he too isn’t seduced by the polling of those more interested in celebrity interaction with the drivers than what F1 has always been about—racing!!!
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A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
It’s become a joke. I really hope all the new ADD fans enjoy it but I haven’t watch a complete a GP this season ..
I was wondering how long it would take for someone to draw the parallels between Domenicali and Infantino. It seems that Infantino is on the way out, we can only hope that Domenicali follows him.
When the history of F1 is written, in the list of world drivers champions, will there be an asterisk* against the 2026 champion with an explanation that says that this driver only won because he had the best power unit algorithm.