Lando Norris, the current champ, fired back at Max Verstappen's complaints about Formula 1's new rules. Norris thinks Verstappen is overreacting and can leave if he hates the cars so much; from a driver's view, there's nothing to complain about.

Verstappen called the new rules anti-racing after testing in Bahrain, saying the cars aren't as fun as the old ones.

Verstappen gripes that energy management is now a major thing under the new rules. Drivers can't just go all-out without wrecking the battery and hurting lap times.

Last year, the four-time champ even said he might quit F1 if the new cars weren't fun. When asked the same thing this Thursday, he just said, We'll see.

But Norris thinks the cars are still a blast. He says anyone not enjoying it can find something else to do.

I had a lot of fun. 'I really enjoyed it,' he said. So yeah, if he wants to retire, he can retire.

F1 always changes. Sometimes it's better; sometimes not. But we get paid a ton to drive, so no one can really complain.

Any driver can go do something else. It's not like anyone has to be here.

It's a challenge, but it's a good one for the engineers and drivers. It's different. You have to drive differently, understand things in a new way, and handle things differently. But you still get to drive cars, travel, and have fun. So, there is nothing to complain about.

Norris added that Verstappen will always be a top driver, no matter the rules.

'I'm sure Max is still going to try to win,' he said.

He's just not going to smile as much, maybe.

It doesn't feel as fast or handle as well as in the past, but if he'd started with these cars, he'd probably think they were amazing.

Compared to the old cars, they don't feel as nice to drive, but they're still good. And it's early days. The rules are meant to make the cars a bit slower at first.

But by the end of the year, and even next year, we'll be going a lot faster. Everyone can have their own opinion and decide what they want to do.

No one should complain about that. Every driver has their own feelings. He didn't like it, and I do.

F1 Testing: Leclerc Sets the Pace in Bahrain

Charles Leclerc was fastest on the second day of Formula 1's Bahrain preseason test. It's still hard to know who's really ahead.

Leclerc's time of 1:34.273 was set in the day and stayed on top until the end. It's tough to read too much into the times, but Ferrari had a very productive day, running 139 laps. People are curious where the Italian team stands against its rivals under the new rules.

Lando Norris finished second, 0.5 seconds behind Leclerc. He also ran a huge 149 laps, showing McLaren's strong preseason. Oliver Bearman was third, 1.121 seconds behind Norris, with 130 laps in the Ferrari-powered Haas.

But the other two teams, who have been top contenders in recent years, struggled this time.

Mercedes had a rough start, with a power unit issue that kept Kimi Antonelli to just four laps before lunch.

George Russell managed 55 laps and was fourth fastest, but people are starting to doubt whether Mercedes will be untouchable at the top -- as many believed before the new rules.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff had said Red Bull was the team to beat after the first day, but they also had a tough day. A morning issue limited their running, and Isack Hadjar wasn't as impressive as Max Verstappen the day before.

Hadjar, 2.2s behind Leclerc, ran 87 laps after the delay. Verstappen will be back in the car for Friday's final day.

Many are wondering if Aston Martin will finally become title contenders as promised. But it looks like it will take time, as they were still near the back of the timing screens.

Fernando Alonso ran a solid 98 laps, but his teammate, Lance Stroll, made the headlines.

As Alonso drove, Stroll said the team was multiple seconds off the pace and probably won't be winning right away. Alonso ended the day 4.6 seconds behind Leclerc.

Team boss Adrian Newey has said they'll be developing the car and working with their new engine partner, Honda. But it's clear this week that the team has a big job ahead.

There were a few stoppages. Norris' McLaren stopped briefly in the pit lane, and Pierre Gasly's Alpine broke down at Turn 1 in the evening. Gasly still managed 97 laps, while Williams drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz ran 131 laps. Williams is having a good start to testing, after skipping the Barcelona Shakedown.

Cadillac caused two delays. First, Sergio Perez stopped on track, and then Valtteri Bottas had debris fly off his car. But Cadillac still ran 107 laps between its drivers. The new team Audi also ran 114 laps.

Max Verstappen didn’t hold back when talking about F1’s new cars. He called them “anti-racing” and even joked they feel like “Formula E on steroids.”

The big change for 2026? The cars will rely a lot more on energy management because of new power units that split power about 50-50 between the combustion engine and electric parts. Verstappen’s just not a fan of all this battery recharging. For him, it kills the fun.

Reporters in Bahrain asked him what he thought about the new cars, and he got right to the point: “Not a lot of fun, to be honest. The right word is management.” He said driving them doesn’t feel like Formula 1 at all. “It feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids,” he said.

He admitted the rules are the same for everyone, so it’s fair in that sense, and he’s fine with a level playing field. But as a driver, he misses pushing flat out. Right now, you just can’t do that. There’s too much going on. Every little thing a driver does now has a huge impact on energy, and Verstappen doesn’t think that’s what Formula 1 should be about.

He even joked, “Maybe it’s better to drive Formula E, right? That series is all about energy management. That’s their thing.” As for driving, he just doesn’t find it much fun anymore. But he also knows what’s at stake for the team, especially with their own engine project, and he sees how excited everyone is behind the scenes.

“When I get in the car, I’ll always give it my best. They know that,” he said. “But honestly, the excitement just isn’t there.”

Last year, Verstappen made his sportscar debut, and he’s already hinted he could walk away from F1 if the 2026 cars don’t bring back the enjoyment.

He’s not alone in his criticism. Lewis Hamilton also slammed the new rules, calling them “ridiculously complex” and worrying they’ll actually make the cars slower than F2.

Hamilton pointed out, “If you look at Barcelona, we’re doing 600 metres of lift and coast on a qualifying lap. That’s not racing. Here in Bahrain, we don’t have to do that because of all the braking zones.”

He explained that the low gears drivers have to use now are just a way to recover more battery power. “We can’t recover enough, so we’re going down to first and second gear in some places just to squeeze out that extra bit of energy.”

In short, the sport’s biggest names just aren’t buying into the new direction — and they’re not shy about saying so.