RacingLando Norris says he had to lift by about 60 km/h through Suzuka’s 130R in qualifying to avoid triggering battery deployment, a moment he argues shows how Formula 1’s 2026 energy rules are creating hazardous speed gaps. The McLaren driver and reigning world champion called it a safety concern at Suzuka, where qualifying traffic turned one of the fastest corners on the circuit into a calculation. “We just want to run flat out, I do not want to lift and lose 60 km/h at 130R going to the final corner,” Norris said, the McLaren driver and reigning F1 world champion, in remarks about the Japanese Grand Prix weekend.
He said the problem starts with how the power units now release energy at different points in the lap, so drivers cannot simply push all the time. “The big problem was that there was energy release at 130R, and I needed to lift, and I could not go back on the throttle. If I went back on the throttle, the battery would release energy, and I did not want that to happen, because it should have been cut,” Norris said, the McLaren driver and reigning F1 world champion, in remarks about the Japanese Grand Prix weekend.
Norris argued the show on TV hides what it feels like inside the car, and that qualifying traffic leaves drivers exposed. “The race may look good on TV, but in the car it is certainly not as authentic as it needs to be,” he said, the McLaren driver and reigning F1 world champion, in comments referencing Suzuka after the first three rounds. He added: “There is nothing we can do, so there is not enough control for the driver, that is why you are at the mercy of what is behind you,” the McLaren driver and reigning F1 world champion, in comments referencing Suzuka after the first three rounds.
The new cars have also made every minute of practice count. Asked at Suzuka if a lack of free practice now hurts more than before, Norris replied, “Yes, 100%. Definitely much bigger than before,” the McLaren driver and reigning F1 world champion, when asked during the Suzuka weekend. His own run underscored the cost, with a gearbox problem in FP1, a battery failure that ruled him out in China, and more garage time in Japan, according to post-Suzuka reporting.
Norris said increased battery output and how teams deploy energy now shape how the car must be driven and set up. “You have seen people losing the rear and making mistakes at places like Spoon, it is not easy,” he said, the McLaren driver and reigning F1 world champion, elaborating at Suzuka. “In some places you have to lift more, and you have to change the setup to match it. There are a lot of small things,” he said, the McLaren driver and reigning F1 world champion, elaborating at Suzuka.
In response to concerns from the opening three rounds, teams, the FIA, and Formula 1 have begun talks to find fixes, according to post-Suzuka reporting. Suzuka highlighted the risks. An accident involving Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto was cited as an example of the danger created by large speed differences, as noted in post-Suzuka reporting.