Lando Norris completes first full McLaren MCL-HY hypercar test at Portimão
Reigning Formula 1 champion Lando Norris completed his first full test in McLaren’s MCL-HY Le Mans Hypercar at Portimão on Monday, adding a substantial day of endurance-racing preparation to his current F1 campaign.
The Briton travelled to Portugal after the Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s new Madring circuit, where an ill-timed Virtual Safety Car denied him victory. His latest test came shortly after McLaren’s public preparation of the car, and follows Norris’s first experience of the MCL-HY during its Goodwood Festival of Speed debut. The circumstances of the Spanish GP setback are covered in our analysis of why Norris could not recover victory after the VSC.
Norris completed 38 laps of the Algarve International Circuit, covering 177 miles in the V6-powered challenger. McLaren said the programme focused on several development items, with Norris providing feedback shaped by his extensive experience in Formula 1.
Feedback for McLaren’s 2027 WEC project
Norris shared the test with Mikkel Jensen and Laurens Vanthoor, McLaren’s 2027 drivers, who continued development work ahead of the manufacturer’s World Endurance Championship debut in 2027.
“First of all, a big thanks to the McLaren Hypercar Team for letting me drive the MCL-HY,” Norris said. “It was great for them to give me a chance to have a bit of fun and try something new, particularly during their busy preparations for next year.”
He added that the team had collected valuable data and that he hoped his “different set of feelings, comments, and perspectives” would assist the project during its crucial testing phase.
For Norris, the significance was also personal. He said he had not completed a proper test in machinery other than an F1 car for years, describing the opportunity to drive a different McLaren while remaining part of the same racing family as “very special”.
Le Mans possibility remains open
McLaren Racing chief Zak Brown has previously expressed interest in fielding Norris and Oscar Piastri in the World Endurance Championship’s blue-riband event. Any such appearance could depend on McLaren running an additional third car, while Norris’s participation would also require no clash with his Formula 1 commitments.
The 2027 WEC calendar has already placed Le Mans on 12–13 June, but Formula 1’s schedule for next year has yet to be published. McLaren Hypercar team principal James Barclay did not directly address a race outing, but left the possibility of Norris returning to the programme open.
“Lando was keen to drive the MCL-HY beyond his Goodwood Hill run, so we invited him to join our private Portimão test,” Barclay said. “He adapted very quickly, integrated seamlessly and provided valuable feedback to support the car’s development.”
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.