Lando Norris, current Formula 1 champion, has completed his first full test with the McLaren MCL-HY, the team’s Hypercar, at the spectacular Portimao circuit. This session, which took place on Monday, was an important step in the Brit’s preparations to participate in next year’s iconic Le Mans race.
After the Spanish Grand Prix, where he missed out on victory due to a bad moment during a Virtual Safety Car, Norris traveled to Portugal to complete a day of testing. During this day, he finished a total of 38 laps, accumulating 177 miles, intending to test various development elements and bring his F1 experience to the project.
The British driver was accompanied by Mikkel Jensen and Laurens Vanthoor, his teammates in McLaren’s 2027 project, who continue to work on the development of the car that will compete in the World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Norris expressed his satisfaction at being able to participate in this test, highlighting that it has been a great opportunity for him: ‘First of all, I want to thank the McLaren Hypercar team for letting me drive the MCL-HY. It was exciting to test a new car after such a long time.’ According to him, the day was productive and he hopes his impressions will help in the vehicle’s development.
McLaren Racing chief, Zak Brown, has shown interest in the possibility of Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri competing at Le Mans, although this depends on the F1 schedule for next year, which has yet to be announced.
Monday’s test session is just one of the steps for McLaren, which is presenting a Hypercar in this elite competition for the first time. Additionally, the team will continue to work intensively on its upcoming tests as the start of the WEC approaches, scheduled for June 12-13, 2027.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
