Lando Norris "hates" driving the current generation of Formula 1 cars and feels the problem is only going to get worse.
The 2022 was the first in which the current generation of F1 cars was used. Changes were made to the aerodynamics, tyres, wings, fuel and wheel guards of the cars in a bid to improve safety and promote closer racing on-track.
And some of the positive effects were clear to see from the get-go – the early-season tussles between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were evidence that the latter had been achieved. There were also negatives, most obviously the "porpoising" phenomenon, but that's not the issue which worries Norris.
Instead, the Brit has backed the opinion of Alpine rival Esteban Ocon, who feels the cars are simply not as much fun to drive. "I hate driving the cars compared to last year," the McLaren star bluntly told reporters.
"They're a different challenge. I wouldn't say they're as enjoyable as previous years' cars, just in terms of how comfortable they are and how much you can play around with hitting the kerbs and lines and stuff like that. You're a bit more limited now.
"Even with set-up, you're a bit more limited. Generally, for us, it's just going as low as you can and as stiff as you can, and then you go a bit softer if it's too stiff. That's basically how it goes every single weekend whereas, in previous years, there was always a lot more to adjust and to try, and you always ended up with different weekends with different solutions.
"This year, not so much. There's less playing around with actual car set-up, in a way. There [are] just bigger challenges of trying to achieve that one good set-up. Unless there's big changes – I don't know what changes they have in place – it's only ever going to get worse.
"The more downforce you put on the car, the worse it's going to get. I think, I don't know, but I expect the more [the] cars change and improve, the more downforce you have, the worse [the] following [on track] is going to be."
Speaking about the 2022 cars himself, Frenchman Ocon complained that they are "heavy" and that they have less grip, but did concede the tyre degradation has improved. "I tested [the 2021 car] at Monza with Jacques Villeneuve, and I enjoyed it much more, and it definitely felt more of a quicker car," he said.
