Lando Norris rubbishes Max Verstappen claim with 'better driver' point

Lando Norris has rubbished Max Verstappen's claims that F1 drivers are "not allowed to make a difference" with F1's new power unit energy algorithms. 

The Red Bull driver feels that the algorithms which deploy the energy in the all-new power units limit the ability of drivers to "make a difference" as they cannot manually control the deployment themselves.

The algorithms learn how to best deploy the energy around a lap, requiring drivers to be clean, consistent, and precise so as not to confuse the systems, with Verstappen believing that "you're not allowed to make a difference because it will just penalise you on the next straight."

In response to this, when presented with Verstappen's comments, Norris explained that, in his opinion, it was still possible for "better drivers" to still make the difference through the corners. 

"There are obviously some corners that get a bit more eliminated, like Pouhon [at Spa], where last year you could maybe get close to doing it flat to someone who doesn't do it flat, and you maybe gain half a tenth," Norris told media, including RacingNews365.

"Some corners, yeah, maybe it tightens up, but if you're a better driver, there are still corners to try and gain an advantage on everyone, so I wouldn't say I necessarily agree with everything.

"I think if you're driving better, you're still going to be ahead at the very fast tracks like Silverstone and Spa; there are fewer corners at the end of the day that you can gain lap time.

"But on a track like the Hungaroring, I don't think that's true at all. You say it's a chance we need to make more of a difference as a good driver, but it's not even the fact that you get confused [by the algorithms]; it's just sometimes it does random stuff. 

"There are certain things you need to try and do at times to try and help the battery; there are certain styles that maybe work a little bit more than previous years, or you need to try and do more than previous years. 

"That's obviously more for the battery than simply for the car, I would say, but even the tyres have changed a little bit, and how the characteristic is of the tyres also means there are certain things you cannot be as attacking as in previous years with the car; that's our car.

"But every car is very different, so I can't speak on everyone else's behalf, but there are also a lot of ways that we have to drive this car very differently, unlike last season, but that is our job."