Lando Norris described seeing the number 1 on his McLaren as surreal during the team's debut of the 2026 challenger at Barcelona's pre-season shakedown. The reigning world champion completed 77 laps on Wednesday, focusing on understanding the radically new MCL40 car. McLaren delayed its start to the third day to ensure the vehicle was fully prepared.
McLaren began its Formula 1 2026 pre-season testing on Wednesday, January 28, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with Lando Norris at the wheel of the new MCL40. The team had postponed running for the first two days to finalize assembly, which Norris noted was completed only that morning. This marked the first time the car, adapted to the sport's major regulatory overhaul, hit the track in one piece.
Norris, the 2025 drivers' champion, sported the traditional number 1 on the car, replacing his usual #4. "It was just nice to be back, nice to see a number one on my car - pretty surreal still," he said. "I saw it on the timing screen; I still find it just unbelievable. It's still a crazy thing to see."
The session emphasized reliability and systems checks rather than competitive times, given the cold conditions and shakedown nature. Norris logged 77 laps, covering over 350 kilometers, while getting acquainted with the car's differences. "It's pretty different. It's a step slower in terms of cornering speeds," he explained. "In terms of acceleration and straightline speed, it probably feels quicker than it did last year, you get to 340, 350 quite a bit quicker. But then you have a bit more to understand from the battery, the power unit, all of those things are in some ways more complicated."
McLaren chief designer Rob Marshall reported a smooth day. "The car ran pretty well today, we're quite happy with it, no nasties, no really scary things went wrong," he said. Minor issues were resolved on site, aligning with the goal of ensuring the car operates across various conditions before Bahrain testing.
Oscar Piastri is scheduled to drive on Thursday, with Norris and Piastri likely sharing Friday duties, maximizing the team's three-day allowance.
