Martin Brundle has expressed serious concerns regarding Formula 1's 2026 regulations after Lando Norris disclosed that his vehicle passed Lewis Hamilton entirely without his intention at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver explained the bizarre situation after Sunday's race, stating: "I didn't even want to overtake Lewis, it's just about the battery deploys, and I don't want it to deploy, but I can't control it.
"So I overtake him, and then I have no battery, so he just flies past."
Speaking on Sky F1's 'The F1 Show' podcast, Brundle revealed this incident troubled him more than Oliver Bearman's significant crash at Spoon during the Japanese Grand Prix, which had been the primary focus of regulatory discussions.
Brundle emphasised that the sport has a longstanding and straightforward regulation stipulating that competitors must operate their cars alone and unaided.
"The driver shouldn't have any surprises by a self-learning car. They've got to get rid of that," he stated.
The Sky F1 commentator insisted that matching power delivery to throttle input is essential for the sport's integrity.
Martin Brundle has expressed serious concerns regarding Formula 1's 2026 regulations after Lando Norris disclosed that his vehicle passed Lewis Hamilton entirely without his intention at the Japanese Grand Prix
|GETTY
"I'm sure it's not the work of a moment, but the power delivery must be proportional to what the driver is doing with the throttle. That's a fundamental. It has to be linear," Brundle explained.
He described the situation as a significant challenge for the governing body to address.
Brundle outlined his view on safety priorities within the sport, placing spectators at the top of the list as paying attendees who have not accepted any risk.
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The pundit insisted the governing body has no choice but to act before racing resumes in Miami, given that drivers have publicly raised these issues.
"So if a car flies into the crowd now and they haven't done something, shown some due diligence on this, then the FIA will be in for the high jump," he warned.
Brundle acknowledged the sport faces considerable technical constraints, noting that the current motors produce three times the electrical output compared to the previous season, with batteries depleting on any substantial straight.
Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris compete at the Japanese Grand Prix
|GETTY
"So this is fundamentally flawed, but I think they should be able to smooth some of these elements out," he conceded.
Despite driver frustrations with the new regulations, the pundit reported positive feedback from supporters he has encountered.
"Fans I've met, I take a lot of trouble at the moment to say, 'Who do you support? Are you enjoying F1 this season?'" Brundle said, describing his informal polling.
The response has been enthusiastic, with spectators appreciating the competitive racing the 2026 rules have produced.