High-speed corners which Formula 1 drivers tackled flat-out last year have become more challenging following changes to the cars, says Lando Norris.
The world champion drove McLaren’s new MCL40 for the first time last week at the Circuit de Catalunya. It features several high-speed corners including turn fourteen, which drivers took at round 265kph last year, and the 250kph turn nine (pictured).
Norris said the simplified aerodynamics on the new generation of cars will make corners like these more of a challenge. “Quite a lot more corners that were easy flat in previous years or the last few years are going to become much bigger corners again,” he said. “So that’s a good thing in some ways and therefore you can see more racing.”
The reduced power of the cars’ aerodynamics will increase the benefit of running on fresh tyres, says Norris, which could have an effect on teams’ tactics. “You might have different strategies because what was [flat-out] last year and not really a grip-limited section, now when you put a new set of tyres on you’ll be able to gain in a lot more parts of the track.”
The revised aerodynamics are only one aspect of the sweeping changes teams have made to their cars in response to this year’s new regulations. The cars also feature new power units which allow drivers to deploy more electrical power when they choose to.
Norris expects this will create much livelier racing. “You’re going to see more chaos in races where a driver has to be a little bit more on top of all of these different situations that can happen,” he predicted.
“You’ll be able to force people more in different positions and create racing potentially in better ways than you have been able to in the past,” Norris said. “And that’s probably a better thing, a good thing.”
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