“At the mercy of the power unit” - the Japanese GP moment that frustrated Lando Norris and Max Verstappen
The McLaren driver said he overtook Lewis Hamilton during the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix without even wanting to, while Verstappen reiterated his claim that the overall picture is “not racing”
Motorsport photo At Suzuka, the yo-yo effect was slightly less extreme than during the season opener in Melbourne, although the overall picture still did not satisfy all of the drivers. Lando Norris ultimately crossed the line in fifth place and saw that – together with Oscar Piastri ’s strong showing – as a sign that McLaren is making significant progress. The racing as a whole, however, left the reigning world champion far from satisfied.
“Honestly some of the racing, I didn't even want to overtake Lewis. It's just that my battery deploys, I don't want it to deploy, but I can't control it,” Norris said when asked by Motorsport. com.
“So, I overtake him, and then I have no battery left, so he just flies past. This is not racing, this is yo-yoing. Even though he [Hamilton] says it's not, it is yo-yoing.
” Read Also: Why Lewis Hamilton believes 2026 F1 rules are “what racing should be” – unlike Max Verstappen Drivers at the mercy of the power unit? The fact that overtakes no longer have much value is one factor for Norris, but the McLaren driver finds it even more frustrating that he sometimes feels powerless behind the wheel. “When you're just at the mercy of whatever the power unit delivers, the driver should be in control of it at least, and we're not.