Lando Norris to test McLaren’s MCL-HY hypercar at Portimao
Norris set for MCL-HY running in Portugal
Lando Norris will take McLaren’s MCL-HY hypercar to the Algarve International Circuit on Monday 14 September, ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Portimao test will give McLaren another opportunity to develop its endurance programme while gathering feedback from the 2025 Formula 1 champion.
The session represents a notable step in the Woking outfit’s preparations for its next major racing project. The MCL-HY is scheduled to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 2027, placing Norris’s input inside a development programme with ambitions beyond Formula 1.
McLaren has designed the hypercar, with Dallara responsible for the chassis. Its power comes from a mid-mounted, twin-turbocharged V6 producing 697 horsepower. Norris has already driven the MCL-HY at Goodwood, and his return to the car adds further direct driver feedback as the project progresses.
The wider endurance context is also developing, as shown by Toyota targeting a tenth WEC victory at Fuji, where the manufacturers’ title fight is tightening.
Le Mans ambition remains on Norris’s radar
Norris has repeatedly indicated that a future Le Mans appearance interests him. In a video posted to McLaren’s YouTube channel in May 2026, he linked that ambition directly to McLaren’s return to the race.
“You know, I still feel like I want to go and try other things,” Norris said. “Do Le Mans, now McLaren are doing Le Mans, so maybe go and do that at some point.”
He added that he was still young and had not decided on every future plan, while also speaking about the possibility of experiencing racing through his children in the future. During the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, Norris also told reporters that he would “love” to take on the endurance challenge.
F1 focus resumes after Madrid setback
Norris’s Portugal visit follows the Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid’s new Madring circuit. He started from pole position but lost the race lead when an ill-timed virtual safety car disrupted McLaren’s position. Mercedes driver and championship leader Kimi Antonelli won his eighth grand prix of the season, ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, while Norris finished third.
That result extended Antonelli’s advantage in the drivers’ championship to 81 points over Mercedes team-mate George Russell. Norris sits fourth, behind Lewis Hamilton, as attention now turns to Azerbaijan—and, for McLaren, to a different kind of racing challenge at Portimao.
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.