Lando Norris: "Surreal" to see #1 on my automotive as McLaren kicks off F1 2026 testing

Lando Norris says driving round because the reigning Formulation 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 in a position to 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 mentioned. “I noticed it on the timing display; 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 go well with, on the automotive, on timing screens, all of these items, and it seems to be 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 unbelievable factor, good to see all of it come collectively, good to see all of the exhausting work that everybody does.”

Lando Norris, McLaren

Photograph by: Formulation 1

Norris mentioned his day was largely spent getting to know his MCL40, by regulation a radically completely different automotive than the predecessor he received the 2025 world title with.

“At the moment was actually only a first understanding of the entire automotive, understanding simply the way it works actually, going by means of the guide of all the pieces,” 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, lively aerodynamics and a a lot greater emphasis on electrical vitality deployment, the Briton replied: “It is fairly completely different. It is a step slower when it comes to cornering speeds,” he reported. “By way of acceleration and straightline velocity, it in all probability 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 have got a bit extra to know from the battery, the ability unit, all of these issues are in some methods extra difficult and simply completely different. And every time one thing’s completely different, it at all times takes a little bit of time to determine the easiest way to handle it.”

Franco Colapinto, Alpine