Lando Norris says driving round because the reigning Method 1 world champion was a “surreal” feeling as he took to the monitor in Barcelona for a day of discovering his 2026 McLaren MCL40.
McLaren delayed its begin to pre-season testing till Wednesday, the third of 5 shakedown days on the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya. With groups capable of choose and select a most of three days to run on the grand prix venue, it means the reigning world champion outfit remains to be on monitor to get its full allowance of mileage in.
Norris did the honours for McLaren on Wednesday, becoming a member of the motion mid-morning and clocking 77 laps on the stone chilly Catalan circuit. The Briton went out in a MCL40 quickly clad in McLaren’s black and gray testing livery, buying and selling in his typical #4 to uphold the custom of the reigning world champion utilizing #1 the next 12 months.
“It was simply good to be again, good to see a primary on my automotive – fairly surreal nonetheless,” Norris stated. “I noticed it on the timing display screen; I nonetheless discover it simply unbelievable. It is nonetheless a loopy factor to see. Now it is actually the first time I get to see it on my swimsuit, on the automotive, on timing screens, all of these items, and it appears good.
“It is the primary time that everybody will get to see the automotive in a single piece, it is actually not been constructed till this morning. It is an unimaginable factor, good to see all of it come collectively, good to see all of the arduous work that everybody does.”
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photograph by: Method 1
Norris stated his day was largely spent getting to grasp his MCL40, by regulation a radically totally different automotive than the predecessor he received the 2025 world title with.
“Right now was actually only a first understanding of the entire automotive, understanding simply the way it works actually, going by the handbook of all the things,” he added. “So a productive day, but it surely’s one which’s actually about figuring stuff out, ensuring issues are working as they need to.”
When requested what he considered his new automotive, that includes decrease downforce, energetic aerodynamics and a a lot greater emphasis on electrical power deployment, the Briton replied: “It is fairly totally different. It is a step slower when it comes to cornering speeds,” he reported. “When it comes to acceleration and straightline pace, it most likely feels faster than it did final 12 months, you get to 340, 350 fairly a bit faster than we did in earlier years.
“However then you might have a bit extra to grasp from the battery, the ability unit, all of these issues are in some methods extra sophisticated and simply totally different. And each time one thing’s totally different, it all the time takes a little bit of time to determine the easiest way to handle it.”
Barcelona shakedown, in pictures
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McLaren chief designer Rob Marshall stated the title-defending squad discovered no troubling surprises when it first ran its new challenger.
“The automotive ran fairly effectively as we speak, we’re fairly proud of it, no nasties, no actually scary issues went incorrect,” he stated. “There are clearly little gremlins right here and there however we ironed these out in the course of the day.
“We actually deal with this week as a shakedown, so that is for us to get the automotive dependable, operating, and ensure it will run in all of the circumstances we would like it to run in. We’re going all the best way across the envelope making an attempt each single bit we are able to after which once we get to Bahrain we’ll attempt to dial the automotive in a bit higher. The circumstances listed below are so chilly that doing consultant lap occasions is clearly going to be very tough.”
McLaren confirmed Oscar Piastri will take over the MCL40 on Thursday, with the pair possible splitting duties on Friday.
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