Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri outline the one new 2026 F1 challenge drivers can’t ignore

McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have detailed how their preparations have changed in order to adapt to the upcoming regulation changes in Formula 1. Both add that there's one thing they can't ignore: the increased workload in the cockpit.

2026 welcomes a new set of regulations which will introduce a power unit with an almost 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power. DRS will be replaced by active aerodynamics, and there will be more driver input on when to harvest and deploy energy.

While the physical preparations are mostly the same for both drivers, Norris explained that he was spending more time in the simulator than in previous years.

"I mean, you're still preparing a lot of the same ways. Probably a bit more time has been spent on the sim, trying to get used to the different buttons, the different way things work," the 2025 F1 champion explained during the McLaren launch event.

"So, more procedural stuff rather than anything else changing outside of that. But like every season, you review how the last year went, and you see what you can do better, and a lot of the work goes into that.

"But this year, with the new regulations, there's more changes on the steering wheel and things like that, that we can already start to focus on the simulator and help us prepare for here in Bahrain and Australia."

McLaren MCL40 livery

Photo by: McLaren

Norris's team-mate Piastri added about the increased driver input from the cockpit: "There is going to be more for us to think about. We've had the hybrid element of the power units previously, but there's much more significance around it this year.

"A lot more power comes from the battery. You can use it up a lot quicker. You can recharge it a lot quicker, so it's a much more dynamic thing that we'll have to keep an eye on.

"And, yes, one more thing for us to focus on, but the aim of trying to go as fast as you can is still exactly the same, but, yeah, definitely there's gonna be a few more challenges for us behind the wheel."