Miami Grand Prix: Max Verstappen says F1 rules change ‘a tickle’ but Lando Norris believes drivers ‘have to be happy’

McLaren’s Norris added: “It’s difficult to go much further. There’s only so much you can do with the rules that you have to keep things within. We’d all have preferred the direction they’ve gone.

“The race isn’t really going to be that different. So some things aren’t going to change that much, and qualifying should be a little bit more flat-out qualifying-style laps, which is a nice thing. That’s what we want (as) drivers, so I think we’ve got to be happy with the amount of changes they’ve made.”

Newer engines have about a 50-50 split between internal combustion and electric power and require significant power management.

The changes are described as “counter-intuitive” driving techniques, aimed at reducing lifting and coasting before corners to qualify for battery charging.

Another key focus was reducing the potential for speed differences when one car is deploying all of its 350kW (470bhp) electric power and the other is deploying none as it charges its battery.

Norris said: “We’ve done a good job of trying to improve things. The bigger things in the future and the things we want more of are the things I’m going to take longer.”

Norris referred to the belief expressed by both his team principal Andrea Stella and Red Bull counterpart Laurent Mackies that hardware changes to the engine are needed to further reduce energy management requirements.

Specifically, this means changing the ratio between internal combustion and electric power by increasing the engine’s power, possibly by increasing the allowable fuel flow.

This cannot happen before next year because of the reliability implications it has with current engines, and needs to be agreed by four of the five engine companies, as well as the FIA ​​and F1’s governing body.

Verstappen said he hasn’t made a decision about his future: “I still have time and I’m taking my time.”