Lando Norris tests McLaren's WEC Hypercar in Portimão just one day after F1 Spanish GP
Lando Norris wasted no time in getting back behind the wheel of a race car this week, with the reigning F1 champion testing McLaren's Hypercar, which will race in the World Endurance Championship next season. Norris tested the MCL-HY at the Portimão circuit in Portugal, just one day after competing at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.
Norris completed 38 laps of the Portimão circuit in the MCL-HY, joining the entire McLaren WEC driver line-up at the track. The F1 champion tested a number of development updates alongside Mikkel Jensen and Laurens Vanthoor as the team prepares for their debut season in the Hypercar class.
McLaren will be the latest manufacturer to join the WEC grid, with numerous other teams such as Ferrari, BMW, Alpine and Aston Martin all joining the Hypercar grid over the last few years. These manufacturers have seen varying levels of success, with all of the teams taking at least one full season to get up to speed, except for Ferrari.
However, none of those manufacturers had the advantage of an active F1 world champion, assisting them with the direction of development with the car. With Norris' assistance, McLaren will be looking to hit the ground running at the opening round of the WEC in 2027, something that many of the new teams and manufacturers have struggled to do.
The WEC season will consist of just nine races next year, with the FIA including an additional race at Silverstone for the first time since 2019. However, with a relatively short amount of races during one season, the ability to hit the ground running and compete right from the off, is vital in the World Endurance Championship. Norris' assistance may give McLaren more of an advantage for next season, but the Briton is not part of their 2027 WEC line-up.
Norris last drove the MCL-HY at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, racing the Hypercar up the short hillclimb in what was McLaren's first public run of the car. Norris headlined the Goodwood Festival of Speed with Monster Energy and McLaren back in July, alongside MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi.
Speaking about his Portimão MCL-HY test, Norris stated: "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 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.”
Norris' Hypercar test also comes shortly after fellow F1 champion, Max Verstappen, got behind the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG GT3 car back at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in May. Many of the active drivers in F1 have expressed interest to test or race with different machinery, with many of them opting to drive Sportscars.
With the WEC gaining manufacturers, adding an additional race to their calendar and having interest from the Formula One grid, the Sportscar niche of motorsport is certainly experiencing another golden age.
