Norris debuts new McLaren as Mercedes impresses in Barcelona testing

Lando Norris took the new McLaren MCL40 for its first laps on the third day of Formula 1's Barcelona shakedown, while Mercedes continued to show promising early reliability by logging the highest lap count of the test. The reigning world champion's debut came as teams focused on systems checks with the sport's new-generation cars ahead of the 2026 season.

Why it matters:

This closed-door test provides the first real-world indication of which teams have managed the transition to F1's new technical regulations most effectively. Mercedes' ability to complete extensive mileage without major issues is a positive early sign for a team tipped to return to the front, while McLaren's delayed but successful first run gets their title defense preparations underway.

The details:

• Mercedes' Mileage: The Brackley-based team completed 183 laps on Wednesday, the most of any team present. Rookie Kimi Antonelli is understood to have set the fastest time of the test so far (1:17.362), with George Russell also near the top of the timesheets.
• Norris's Debut: After sitting out the first two days, the world champion finally drove the new McLaren, completing 74 laps with a best time around 1:18.307. He ran with the champion's number 1 on the car for the first time.
• Team Updates:
  • Haas: Oliver Bearman had his first full day in the VF-24 but caused a red flag after a reliability issue. He recovered to complete 42 laps.
  • Audi: Nico Hulkenberg stopped on track for the second day running but still managed 68 laps.
  • Racing Bulls: Rookie Arvid Lindblad logged over 100 laps on the new Red Bull power unit.
• Absentees: Red Bull did not run on Wednesday after significant damage to the RB22 in a crash on Tuesday. Aston Martin has yet to run but may debut its Adrian Newey-designed car as early as Thursday.

What's next:

The focus remains on reliability and data gathering for the final days of the Barcelona shakedown. All eyes will then turn to the official pre-season test in Bahrain, where competitive performance will start to become clearer. Mercedes' engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, noted that while the initial feeling with the new cars is positive, true happiness for the drivers will only come when they see their relative pace against rivals in Bahrain.