F1 | Norris: “Maybe we will have to wait until 2026 to beat Red Bull”

Even at the beginning of 2024, Verstappen and Red Bull kicked off the championship with an amazing state of form, continuing the path that has seen them be the reference point since around mid-2022. If not for a few setbacks, including the last in Australia last week due to a brake problem, the Dutchman has dominated the last 18 months of Formula 1, taking home two more world titles, in addition to the one he won in 2021.

Although after this season there is still a year left until 2026, when F1 will approach another great revolution with very different Power Units, Norris is convinced that the other teams do not have great margins for recovery during this technical cycle.

In fact, according to the British driver from McLaren, we will have to wait until 2026, when the next generation of cars will debut, to see a reversal of the values ​​in the field, potentially due not only to the different single-seaters on the aerodynamic level, but above all to the differences in terms of Power Unit.

“I believe that for a real revolution in the values ​​on the grid we will have to wait until 2026. I think it could potentially be a great upheaval for all the teams. The Power Units represent the biggest unknown,” explained the Briton, mentioning how currently there are no major differences between the various units in terms of performance, while in 2026 the situation could change, adding a further element of uncertainty.

“Now there are no longer major differences between the performances of the various Power Units, it depends much more on the cars. At the moment I expect that Red Bull in this technical cycle will continue to win because at the moment it is ahead and has proven to be reference”.

Norris has not hidden his hope that Red Bull will reach a sort of performance ceiling where he will no longer have any ideas on how to significantly improve the car, but the change in concept chosen by the Milton Keynes team for this year demonstrates how the imagination is not lacking in Milton Keynes.

“They're smart and smart, maybe smarter in many ways. If they do as good a job compared to any other team, then they'll always maintain the advantage they have, but hopefully they'll start to run out of good ideas,” he explained the British.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-24, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Clearly, however, many teams have used the last twelve months to review the concept of their car and make up ground. At the beginning of 2023, Ferrari and Mercedes had focused on two concepts that proved unprofitable over the long distance, which is why they had to face the season with “laboratory” cars, waiting to make the necessary changes in winter to get closer to the dictates Red Bull.

The Maranello team, for example, managed to intervene on critical points in the winter, creating a car that was simpler to drive and much more competitive, thus reducing the gap to the top.

“I think all the teams are catching up. Even as far as McLaren is concerned, if we consider the progress we have made in twelve months, we have been the team that has grown the most over the last year. So, if you look at the situation from this point of view, I think we can be very satisfied with the work we are doing. But it is not enough and we are not close enough to challenge Red Bull”, added Norris.

The most problematic areas of the MCL38 recall the difficulties already observed on its progenitor: in addition to the low top speeds on the stretches, especially on tracks tending to have low loads, both last season's car and this year's single-seater also present an annoying understeer in very slow corners where you have to rely on the front. Furthermore, it lacks stability in very long bends where you have to keep the steering wheel turned for a long time. Aspects on which the Woking team will try to intervene with the first major package of technical innovations expected between Miami and Imola.