Australian GP: George Russell hits back at 'selfish' Lando Norris criticism of new F1 rules

George Russell has hit back at Lando Norris’ criticism of Formula 1’s new generation of cars and believes he wouldn’t be complaining if he was winning.

After a sixth-place finish at the Australian Grand Prix qualifying 24 hours earlier, reigning world champion Norris claimed F1 had traded “the best cars ever” to “probably worst” with the new 2026 regulations.

“We’ve come from the best cars ever made in Formula 1, and the nicest to drive, to probably the worst,” a frustrated Norris told Speed Cafe. “It sucks, but you have to live with it and just maximise what you get given,"

The biggest issue for drivers has been managing the 50/50 split between electric and combustion power which according to Norris, forces drivers into excessive lifting and coasting while constantly monitoring energy levels rather than simply pushing the car.

“I think everyone knows what the issues are,” he said. “It’s just the fact it’s a 50/50 split and it just doesn’t work. Straightline mode means you’ve got a lot of other issues at hand.

“You decelerate so much before corners, you have to lift everywhere to make sure the [battery] pack’s at the top.“If the pack’s too high, you’re also screwed. It’s just difficult, but it’s what we have.“It doesn’t feel good as a driver.”

In response, Russell, 28, suggested his fellow countryman Norris, 26, would not be so critical if he was at the front.

Asked if he views Norris’s comments as being ‘sour grapes’ because McLaren aren’t as competitive, Russell replied after the win on Sunday: “If he was winning I don’t think he’d be saying the same."

He added: “We weren’t happy with how stiff the cars were last year and the porpoising. Everyone had a bad back and the drivers were complaining about that and the McLaren drivers said they had no porpoising, even though we watched their car and they were porpoising

“So everyone is always looking to themselves and we are all selfish in this regard. The truth is last year we had the same engine as them and McLaren did a better job than us and they beat us.

“Now McLaren have got the same engine as us, the same as Williams and the same as Alpine, and so far we’ve done a better job than them. That’s just how the game goes.”

George Russell dominated the 2026 Australian Grand Prix to lead a Mercedes one-two finish, marking a perfect start to F1's new engine era.

While Charles Leclerc initially took the lead from fourth on the grid, Mercedes utilized a superior energy management strategy during two Virtual Safety Car periods to jump ahead of both Ferraris.

Russell's rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli secured a career-best second place, while Leclerc managed to hold off Lewis Hamilton for the final podium spot.

Local fans faced heartbreak early on when Oscar Piastri crashed his McLaren before the race even began, leaving reigning champion Lando Norris to fly the flag for the team with a lonely fifth-place finish.

The race was defined by the debut of the 50/50 hybrid power units, which led to intense strategic battles and several high-speed incidents.

Max Verstappen provided the afternoon's entertainment by carving through the field from the back of the grid to finish sixth after his qualifying crash.

In the midfield, the debut of Audi saw the team secure its first-ever points via Gabriel Bortoleto, while Arvid Lindblad impressed by scoring on his debut for Racing Bulls.