Martin Brundle is ‘really worried’ about 2026 F1 rules after Lando Norris showed ‘fundamental’ issue

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Martin Brundle says Lando Norris’ comments about racing Lewis Hamilton at the Japanese Grand Prix highlight the big problem with F1’s new rules.

Norris beat Hamilton to fifth place in Sunday’s race, but only after they had exchanged positions multiple times. The McLaren driver said afterwards that ‘this is not racing’.

“Honestly some of the racing, I didn’t even want to overtake Lewis, it’s just my battery deploys, and I don’t want it to deploy but I can’t control it,” he said, via ESPN.

“So I overtake him and then I have no battery, so he just flies past. This is not racing, this is yo-yoing.”

Martin Brundle says 2026 regulations break F1’s golden rule

Brundle wasn’t in Japan but says he enjoyed the race from home, particularly the latest battle between Hamilton and Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc.

The Sky Sports pundit is delighted that the dirty air problem seems to have been reduced by the new regulations. Racing in the ground-effect era was increasingly hamstrung by the cars’ sensitivity to turbulence.

Martin Brundle perfectly sums up the start of F1’s new era

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But Brundle’s big concern is that drivers have lost a ‘fundamental’ degree of control, as Norris’ comments demonstrate. The core principles of F1 are being compromised.

“Some of the overtakes, obviously, were too battery-driven,” he told the F1 Show. “Others, I really enjoyed the action. I enjoyed, once again, seeing the Ferraris pouring into turn one side-by-side, almost touching, really good, clean, hard racing.

“It’s in there, it’s available if we can just get it right, get the battery, the deployment and all the words we hate actually using sorted out.

• READ MORE: Ferrari may oppose engine rule change that could keep Max Verstappen in Formula 1

“I’m really pleased I got up early in the morning to watch the race… but overall: good, can do better.

“The big standout, and the thing that has been done well, is the cars do follow each other much more closely, and the tyres are hanging on, so that’s one big upside if we can sort the batteries out.

“One thing that really worried me is Lando Norris saying, ‘I didn’t want to overtake Lewis Hamilton, but then my battery decided it did, and then I had nothing to defend with.’

“There’s a regulation in Formula 1 that’s been around forever. It’s very simple and far-reaching. The driver must drive the car alone and unaided.

“The driver shouldn’t have any surprises from a self-learning car. They’ve got to get rid of that. I’m sure it’s not the work of a moment, but the power delivery must be proportional to what the driver’s doing with the throttle. That’s fundamental.”

Sky Sports have made ‘editorial decision’ not to be negative about new F1 rules

According to Planet F1, UK broadcasters Sky Sports have made an ‘editorial decision’ to paint the racing as thrilling rather than artificial. It’s part of an overarching strategy to be positive about the new rules.

One can understand why they have gone in that direction. After all, they have a product to promote, and they won’t want to dissuade viewers from tuning in.

• READ MORE: Fans say Lewis Hamilton radio during Oscar Piastri battle sums up the problem with 2026 F1 rules

The report suggests that pundits like Brundle, Jenson Button, Jacques Villeneuve, Karun Chandhok and Anthony Davidson – all former F1 drivers – have been urged to show enthusiasm, even in the face of complaints from the current grid.

Brundle’s comments, made on the platform’s official podcast, show that there is still room for balance.