Norris, the first 77 laps as number 1: “Productive and positive day”

There’s a new number 1 “Coming back to the track and seeing the number 1 on the car was a surreal moment for me”: Lando Norris didn’t mince words when commenting on his first day as reigning world champion on the track in Barcelona for the Shakedown of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
Driving the courageous MCL40, Norris ended the day covering 358 km, equal to 77 laps. Excellent sign of reliability for McLaren. Comment from Lando Norris “Getting out on track was a significant moment for the whole team, as it was the first time our car, compliant with the new regulations, had taken to the track. Thank you all for getting us this far. It was a productive and positive first day. Our aim was to gain an initial understanding of the new car, check that all the systems are working and collect some reference data for the engineers. With any regulation change, it takes time to understand everything, but I am satisfied with how the day went and I can’t see time to do some more laps on Friday.” Comment from Chief Designer, Rob Marshall “Our first day on track here in Barcelona was very productive, with the MCL40 performing well. Our main aim was to test the car, get as much information as possible and better understand how it works, as the new rules have forced us to have a completely new car. From a design point of view, the new rules have required a huge amount of work, so it was fantastic to see the car come out of the garage for the first time. We were able to understand the car’s systems more fully and saw how the components interact on the track, as well as getting important feedback from the driver, now that Lando has physically driven the car. This basic knowledge will help us when we get to Bahrain, where we will focus more on setting up the car. Overall, it was a good day and we can’t wait to see Oscar behind the wheel tomorrow.”