Lando Norris criticizes F1 vehicles: No one aspired to operate these.
SHANGHAI, China — Lando Norris has stated that it is no longer feasible to determine who the most daring driver in Formula 1 is, as the sport has developed vehicles that require a style of racing “none of us grew up wanting to do.”
The contentious new regulations in F1 have resulted in engines that feature a 50-50 balance between combustion and electric power, significantly increasing the focus on energy recovery and battery usage.
Drivers must now conserve energy by reducing speed through corners, which led to a rather uninspiring display during qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix last week.
Max Verstappen has already compared the cars to an enhanced version of the all-electric series Formula E, humorously remarking during the media day for the Chinese Grand Prix that his best practice now involves playing Mario Kart.
Fernando Alonso also indicated that some of F1’s most legendary corners have lost their significance.
“There were always turns where the driver had to be courageous and push their limits,” Alonso remarked, specifically referencing Japan’s famous high-speed left-hand corner known as 130R. “That no longer exists; you use Suzuka’s Esses to charge the battery. It’s a different challenge, still enjoyable — you love racing — but I grew up with the other one, the one about taking risks in the corners, and I prefer that.”
When asked about Alonso’s remarks a few hours later, Norris expressed his agreement.
“You’re managing the power unit, you’re not pushing the car to its full potential,” Norris explained. “It’s not about ‘driving the car in the fastest way possible.’ That’s not how it functions.
“It requires a completely different driving approach. It’s essentially about forgetting everything you’ve ever learned and starting anew.”
Norris referenced the Pouhon section of the renowned Spa-Francorchamps circuit to illustrate his point.
“I believe you can still differentiate yourself as a driver by managing the power unit effectively, but not necessarily by driving the car in a significantly better manner. You won’t enter Pouhon now and see who has the most courage. Instead, you’ll see who can lift at the right moment and utilize the throttle appropriately, without depleting the power or battery.”
Norris remarked that the current generation of the sport is far removed from what he envisioned racing as a child.
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When questioned about whether the drivers’ roles have been diminished with the new technology, Norris replied: “I don’t think so. It’s just been significantly altered.
“It’s transitioned from merely optimizing every millisecond out of the car itself and purely from a driver perspective — setting aside the engine because that was generally strong for everyone, let’s say. It was simply about who could extract the most from the car on that particular day. That was the focus.
“You’re driving as you’ve always driven your entire life, which involves throttle, brake … and generally more throttle and less brake. For the first time in our lives, it’s essentially about disregarding everything you’ve learned in F4, F3, F2 and driving in a completely different manner. The driver can still have a significant impact and can certainly influence how to manage the power unit effectively.
“It’s just that this isn’t what any of us have ever been accustomed to. It’s probably not something any of us aspired to do either, but that’s the current reality. George [Russell] has also excelled at grasping these concepts and deserves recognition for optimizing the package he has and understanding these aspects potentially better than others.
“Thus, the driver can still make a considerable difference, and I believe that understanding how to maximize the car and the power units together is the next step, but for now, we need to focus on optimizing one before shifting our attention to the other.”
One of the major issues drivers have raised is the method now required for harvesting battery power.
The cars in F1 depend on the kinetic energy generated through braking to recharge the battery, which can then be used for a power boost during the lap.
Norris mentioned that this approach has required some adjustment.
“It’s quite a strange sensation in certain areas to apply the least throttle possible when you just want to accelerate, because that should be the primary focus,” Norris stated.
“And having to perform significant lift-and-coast maneuvers into some corners is again not what we’ve been trained to do or ever wanted to do, but it’s the situation we find ourselves in due to the current regulations. So while some drivers may not be satisfied with how one must drive a Formula 1 car today, it remains Formula 1, and you must do your best, so it is what it is.”
Source: espn.com
