Lando Norris had little time to dwell on his disappointment at the Spanish Grand Prix. The McLaren driver quickly shifted focus to a special assignment with his team.
At the brand-new Madring circuit, Norris started from pole position. But a poorly timed Virtual Safety Car during his pit stop dashed his victory hopes. He had to settle for third behind Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen. After the race, his face clearly showed deep disappointment.
However, Norris was forced to put his woes behind him. He made a short trip across the border to Portugal to sample the McLaren MCL-HY, the highly anticipated hypercar from the Woking-based squad.
Norris had already driven the car, which will contest the 2027 World Endurance Championship, in a show run at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this year. But at the Portimao circuit—a returnee to next year's F1 calendar—this test was more serious. He was joined by two of its forthcoming line-up, Mikkel Jansen and Laurens Vanthoor, and completed 38 laps to aid its development ahead of its debut season.
After the test, Norris described the opportunity as "very special" and expressed hope of being afforded another chance to drive the car later.
"First of all, a big thanks to the McLaren Hypercar Team for letting me drive the MCL-HY," he 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. I think we also collected some valuable data, and I hope I was able to bring a different set of feelings, comments, and perspectives on things, which is useful for the team in this crucial testing period."
"It was cool for me personally to work with this team, and it was exciting to try new machinery too. I've not done a proper test in anything other than an F1 car for years now, so the fact I got to try something different, especially still as part of the McLaren family, was very special. It was a fun day in a quick car on a cool track, helping the team prepare for the start of WEC next year. A big thanks to everyone involved, I can't wait to get back in the car in the future."
James Barclay, Team Principal of the McLaren Hypercar Programme, added: "We are all racers at McLaren Racing, and competing in Formula 1, INDYCAR and the World Endurance Championship creates exciting cross-series opportunities. Lando was keen to drive the MCL-HY beyond his Goodwood Hill run, so we invited him to join our private Portimao test. As we fully expected he adapted very quickly, integrated seamlessly and provided valuable feedback to support the car's development. It was a pleasure to have him with the team."
For Norris, this experience was a perfect escape from Formula 1 pressure. The Spanish failure may still linger, but the chance to try a hypercar provided a new perspective and strengthened his bond with McLaren. Meanwhile, McLaren Hypercar continues to mature its preparations for its WEC debut, with added data and input from a driver of Norris's caliber.
Baca Juga
Fotografer F1 diduga dicekik polisi di GP Spanyol. Insiden terjadi saat menuju podium. FIA diminta bertindak. Simak kronologinya di sini.
Ferrari hanya mengumpulkan 51 poin dalam 3 balapan terakhir, kalah dari Antonelli dan Norris. Jarak dengan Mercedes melebar jadi 145 poin. Akankah Ferrari bangkit?
Ferrari tetap fokus kembangkan SF-26 meski peluang juara menipis. Fred Vasseur sebut 80% pengembangan bisa dibawa ke mobil 2027.
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