World champion concerned about speed of overtaking
Lewis Hamilton backs changes after Australian GP
Lando Norris has warned Formula One is in danger of having a major accident that could injure fans as well as drivers after the season’s first race in Melbourne. The defending world champion was one of many drivers expressing discontent at the sport’s new direction this weekend, but other senior figures in F1 have called for time to adapt to the new rules.
Norris finished fifth for McLaren at the Australian Grand Prix, which was won by Mercedes’s George Russell. F1 has adopted complex regulations that require management of electrical energy. That includes the use of an overtake mode, allowing cars to apply extra power during a lap against rivals that may be slowing as they recharge their battery.
The changes were being tested in racing conditions for the first time and Norris was bluntly dismissive of the results. “It is chaos, and we are going to have a big accident,” he said. “Which is a shame because we are driving, and the ones just waiting for something to happen and to go quite horribly wrong, and that is not a nice position to be in.”
