Lando Norris blames SIGNIFICANT injury problem on F1 regulations

F1 Regulations

Norris blames SIGNIFICANT injury problem on F1 regulations

McLaren driver confirms that he has been suffering with back pain for nearly a year

Shay Rogers

Thursday 7 September 2023 17:57

McLaren’s Lando Norris has revealed that he has been suffering with back pain as a result of Formula 1 regulations introduced at the start of the 2022 season.

While it doesn’t seem to have affected his performance, new team-mate Oscar Piastri has managed to get closer to him than Daniel Ricciardo did throughout his time with the team.

Back pain is a serious injury, especially if not treated properly and could pose long-term side effects, damaging Norris' future prospects in the sport and endangering his health.

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Those are some of the reasons why he’s calling for the sport to make the cars ‘softer’, in order to make the ride on track both safer and more comfortable.

Norris: I’ve had a lot of issues over the last 12 months

“If we could have softer cars or something that makes it a bit more like it was in ’19, ’20, ‘21,” Norris told Speedcafe. “I’ve struggled a lot with my back. I’ve had to make quite a few seats and do a lot more training just to try and strengthen my back.

"I’ve had a lot of issues over the last 12 months or so. Every year until last year, I could get away with just hopping in the car and not doing any physio in a way. Not the best thing. I always did it, but I could get away with it.

“Now I have to do it [physio]. I have to stretch, I have to do all these things morning and evening, before every session.”

With 23 races per season, drivers’ bodies are going to come under increasing strain, making stretching and time with the physio all the more important.

Lando Norris leads McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri through the first chicane at the Italian Grand Prix

“It’s not just racing. It is just other things. It’s just something that I’ve had to work on in general anyway but it’s definitely not helped by some of the changes on the car last couple of years,” he added.

“It got to quite a bad point last year. Every day I was struggling; struggling with sleep and everything, just in constant pain. Now I’m in a much better position but I’m also limiting a lot more things around it, you know, doing more stretching all those things.”

Norris will be hoping that his back situation continues to improve as McLaren continue their upturn in form and get closer to Red Bull on track.

The more Norris can deliver on the track, the better his chances are of replacing Red Bull’s own Sergio Perez in the future.