Lando Norris has cautioned that it’s improbable Formula 1 will have as tight qualifying sessions as it did in the Canadian Grand Prix with the all-new 2026 regulations.
Last week, the FIA published the guidelines behind the cars that will shape F1’s next era with a move back to lighter and smaller cars to enhance the racing spectacle.
But while the attention has been on whether the FIA can achieve its aspirations with the rules under their current guise, Norris has flagged a competitiveness concern.
Last weekend’s Q3 stage in Montreal saw George Russell and Max Verstappen locked in a dead heat for pole position as less than three-tenths covered the top seven.
The Briton has pinpointed how a switch in the regulations tends to prompt the field to spread out at a time when convergence is occurring as the current rules mature.
“I think you’re not going to have days like today again,” Norris warned.
“You’re not going to have days like the last few weeks probably in ‘26, ‘27, ‘28, or pretty much like ‘28, ‘29. So, it’s how it’s always been.
“Every time there’s a regulation change, there’s big gaps.
“And even at the end of the last era, ‘21, things were getting closer again. You had still Red Bull against Mercedes, and everyone was getting closer. And then everything spread out again.
“Red Bull had their time, and now it seems like we’ve been able to catch up.
“So just as we’re getting there, and I think probably looking ahead to next year already, next year should be an exciting year for everyone, just from first to last.
“I think it’s going to be exciting. But then that’s all going to go in ‘26.”
Norris has urged F1 to assess whether it wants to leave the rules unchanged for longer to encourage closer battles or prioritise rule changes to address car concerns.
“There might be some benefits in the race for those [2026] regulations, there might be some things that are worse,” he said.
“The type of racing you’re going to get is probably quite different. So, it’s complicated.
“It’s not a simple answer. I don’t know the answer, at the same time. I don’t think anyone knows exactly how it’s going to pan out.
“Always at the end of these regulation changes, we see days like today and we see closer battles – and now Mercedes up here as well.
“So that’s four teams who are fighting towards the top. [That] is eight cars, you’re going to see different winners. And I think that’s exciting for people watching.
“But definitely, you’re not going to have that in ‘26.
“So, it depends if you want to keep this excitement and keep this challenge that we have now, or if you want to change everything again and have another few years where it’s far apart.”
