Lando Norris says Formula One has become a business, not a sport, before Hungarian Grand Prix

McLaren driver Lando Norris warned that Formula One is being run as a profit‑driven enterprise rather than a sport ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. He said the 2026 hybrid power‑unit rules – a 50 % split between internal‑combustion and electric power introduced to attract manufacturers such as Audi – have cramped driver speed and forced teams to prioritize revenue. Norris criticised the lack of driver influence, noting that “it’s a business, everyone wants to make money, so we had to change these things”, and lamented that fan interest now focuses more on personalities than on racing itself, a shift he linked to the Netflix series *Drive to Survive*.

At the same weekend McLaren unveiled its largest technical upgrade package of the season for the Hungaroring, including a new floor, aerodynamic tweaks and a rear wing dubbed “Macarena”. Norris remained cautious, saying the team would have to see the on‑track effect before getting too excited. teammate Oscar Piastri ran a previous‑specification floor in practice to allow a direct performance comparison. The team expressed confidence that the updates should improve competitiveness, but acknowledged the split‑testing approach and challenging track‑surface conditions.

Overall, the comments highlight tension between commercial imperatives and sporting purity within Formula One, while teams continue to develop hardware to regain podium contention.