Lando Norris offered his initial thoughts on McLaren’s new 2026 Formula 1 car during the team’s livery reveal event in Bahrain. As the defending world champion, Norris drove the MCL40 during the pre-season shakedown and described the experience as markedly different from recent F1 machines, highlighting its increased difficulty and unique driving characteristics.
McLaren showcased the MCL40 with its iconic papaya colors as the team prepares to defend both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships it secured in 2025. The car has already been tested on track during the Barcelona shakedown, with Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri completing numerous laps ahead of official pre-season testing in Bahrain.
The 2026 car features extensive modifications, including a new power unit delivering an equal balance of combustion and electric power: 540 horsepower from the combustion engine and 470 horsepower from electric sources. Enhanced energy recovery and deployment systems are part of the package, along with a smaller, lighter chassis. Drivers now also have access to a manual electric boost when they are within one second of a rival, adding a strategic layer to racing.
Greater emphasis on energy management techniques such as braking, lift-and-coast, part-throttle running, and super-clipping is required under the new regulations. Norris remarked on how different the car feels behind the wheel, noting the challenges it presents.
“It certainly feels different to all the ones that I’ve raced. So it’s definitely more pre-2017-18. So not really like I’ve driven, but almost like F2 in some ways in terms of more power, bit more undergripped. Which is going to make it more of a challenge behind the wheel, which is exciting. It’s our job to drive whatever we get driven in the end of the day,” he said at the launch. (23:23 onwards)
Meanwhile, Piastri initially disagreed with the comparison but acknowledged during the launch that adapting to the new car and power unit will take significant time given the scale of change.
“I think it’s going to be a big challenge for all of us. Obviously the cars are changing themselves, but the power units especially we’ve had the same engines for the last 10 years or so, and that’s going to be a pretty big difference to get our head around… And then the cars themselves, their behaviour is quite different to what we’ve had the last few years. So just getting used to a lot of different things is going to be exciting,” he said (6:00 onwards).
At the Barcelona shakedown, McLaren completed a total of 287 laps, with Norris contributing 159 laps and Piastri 128 laps. These early miles allowed the team to gather initial data and prepare for the official pre-season test sessions.
Drivers Face Increased Complexity in 2026 Under New Rules
The intricate nature of the 2026 regulations has been a common theme among drivers across the grid. Esteban Ocon has suggested that racers may need to completely rethink their driving approaches, whereas Gabriel Bortoleto believes that the core essence of racing remains unchanged. George Russell described the updates as radical, while Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli compared managing the cars to playing “high-speed chess.”
Norris echoed the sentiment in a recent Sky Sports F1 interview, emphasizing the mental demands of racing the new cars.
“There’s a different level of processing that’s needed for the cars this year in order to understand how to use the battery, how to use the PU in all the best ways, which will create probably at times more chaos. More like ‘how’s he done that?’ and he used more battery and then he pays the price for that.”
“So, hopefully for everyone on the outside they can try to learn these things and understand these things because they’ve certainly not made F1 more simple from that fact. But over the course of time, because everyone’s early on in this process, we’ll learn how to get the most out of it,” Lando Norris added (5:39 onwards).
All Formula 1 teams have now revealed their 2026 cars. The official pre-season testing will take place in Bahrain from February 11 to 13 and again from February 18 to 20, with the final hour open for public broadcast. These sessions will be critical for teams and drivers like Norris, Piastri, and others to fully understand their new machinery and refine their strategies ahead of the competitive season.
As McLaren pushes forward with the MCL40, Norris’s comments underscore the significant shift in driving dynamics and technology for the new era of Formula 1. The challenging characteristics of the 2026 car will demand heightened focus and adaptation, making the upcoming season one of intense competition and technical evolution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsyGF3mhljI
