Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri spoke out at the Miami Grand Prix following the implementation of regulation tweaks made during the break.
The 2026 regulations have been nothing short of contentious, and during the unprecedented spring break, the FIA made a number of tweaks in an attempt to resolve some of the issues.
Many of the adjustments were actually not implemented in Miami due to its nature as an energy-rich circuit, but those that were seemed to make little difference, if any, according to the McLaren duo.
Despite their second and third-place finishes, respectively, Norris and Piastri made it clear that they are still unhappy with the regulations.
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Norris’ verdict
Norris secured his best finishes of the season so far in Miami, winning the sprint race and placing second in the main race, and at one point seemed able to win that too.
When the top three were asked about the regulation tweaks post-race, Norris’ opinion was clear: “It’s a small step in the right direction.”
However, the small step was clearly not enough for Norris.
“I think we said yesterday still in qualifying, if you go flat out everywhere and you try pushing like you were in previous years, you still just get penalised for it. You still can’t be flat out everywhere,” he added.
Despite the changes, Norris believes “you should never get penalised for that kind of thing and you still do”.
With a less-than-hopeful attitude toward the future, Norris added on Motorsport.com: “So honestly, I don’t really think you can fix that.”
Bluntly put, Norris claimed that the regulations are “not to the level that Formula 1 should be at”.
Piastri’s point
Piastri also had a good performance in Miami, securing second place in the sprint and third place in the main race, but, similarly to his team-mate, reacted negatively when the top three were asked their views on the regulation changes.
“The races are basically exactly the same,” he stated.
When speaking about the overtakes, he called them “a bit random” and “not much has changed”, particularly in regard to the closing speeds, an area which was targeted specifically in the tweaks.
Piastri was slightly more positive and praised the attempt to make progress.
“I think the collaboration again from the FIA and F1 has been good,” he added.
However, like Norris, Piastri is doubtful about how many meaningful adjustments can be made, adding: “There’s only so many things you can change with the hardware we have.
“So, some changes in the future are still needed for sure. How quickly we can do it is the big question.”
Norris echoed the need for future changes and that this would take a while, saying: “You just have to get rid of the battery. So hopefully in a few years, that’s the case.”
However, getting rid of the battery entirely is an extreme shift and one that is unlikely to materialise.
For now, McLaren’s stars have made one thing clear: the FIA’s tweaks may have softened the problem, but the sport’s headache over the regulations is far from over.
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SportJustSport writers 
Geoffrey H. Latayan