LANDO NORRIS DEBUTS 2026 MCLAREN MCL40 WITH WORLD CHAMPION NO. 1
World Champion Lando Norris describes his first laps in the 2026 McLaren MCL40 as "surreal" during a successful shakedown in Barcelona.
Lando Norris couldn’t help but call it “pretty surreal” as he took the McLaren 2026 F1 car out for its first laps—this time as world champion.
The new MCL40, in a sharp black test livery, hit the track for the first time in Barcelona. McLaren showed up as the reigning champs, joining F1’s private shakedown on Wednesday.
Norris looked right at home with the number 1 on his car. He put in 77 laps and clocked a best time of 1:18.307, which landed him third on the timing sheets.
“Honestly, it just felt good to be back, and seeing the number one on my car is still pretty wild. It’s a cool feeling,” Norris said, looking back on his first proper outing in the new McLaren.
“This is the first day we’ve had the car on track, the first time anyone’s seen it all together. It didn’t even exist as one piece until this morning, so seeing it finally built is amazing. You see all the hard work from everyone come together, and then I get to do the fun bit—drive it. Turned out to be a decent day.”
He explained that most of the day was about getting a first feel for the car—learning how it all works, running through the checklist, making sure everything does what it’s supposed to. “We basically just tried to figure stuff out, check that things are working, and start building up a picture of what we’ve got.”
When asked about his first thoughts on the MCL40—built for F1’s new rules—Norris said, “It feels pretty different. Cornering speeds are definitely down, that’s for sure.
“But when it comes to acceleration and straight-line speed, the car feels quicker than last year. Getting up to 340, 350 is a lot faster than before.
“Still, the battery and power unit are both more complicated now. There’s just more to figure out. Anything new takes a bit of time to get your head around and find the best way to manage it.”
Rob Marshall, McLaren’s chief designer, seemed happy with how things went. “The car ran well today, no real issues, nothing scary,” he said. “Of course, there are always little gremlins, but we sorted those out as we went.
“We use this week as a shakedown, just to get everything reliable and running in all sorts of conditions.
“We’re pushing the car in every way we can, and once we get to Bahrain, we’ll start fine-tuning. It’s so cold here that proper lap times are pretty much impossible anyway.”
Oscar Piastri gets his turn in the MCL40 on Thursday, and then he’ll share the car with Norris for the final day on Friday.
KIM KARDASHIAN AND LEWIS HAMILTON SPOTTED ON ROMANTIC EUROPEAN TOUR TOGETHER
Kim Kardashian and F1 star Lewis Hamilton are turning heads across Europe as insiders reveal Kim's "Russell Wilson" nickname.
Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton are the latest celebrity duo making waves, and apparently, Kim’s already got a cheeky nickname for him. The two have been spotted out together in the Cotswolds, London, and Paris, just enjoying themselves and turning a few heads in the process.
Word is, Kim’s close friends are spilling a few details about this new romance. One insider claims Lewis isn’t looking to settle down right now, but Kim still has a special name for him—she calls him “her Russell Wilson”. If you know the reference, it’s a nod to NFL star Russell Wilson, who married singer Ciara after her high-profile breakup with rapper Future. Friends say Kim thinks of Lewis as a “sophisticated upgrade” from her ex, Kanye West.
Kim and Kanye—now legally known as Ye—were married from 2014 to 2021 and share four kids. Their co-parenting relationship is famously complicated.
Kim’s reportedly a bit anxious about how Kanye will react to her new thing with Lewis, considering Kanye and Lewis were friends back in the day. One source told the Mail, “They’re both cautious about Kanye’s feelings since he and Lewis go way back. Kim’s living for herself these days, but she doesn’t want to poke the bear. They know this could set Kanye off, so they’re keeping it light and just having fun for now.”
Kim and Lewis first crossed paths years ago at GQ’s 2014 Men of the Year Awards. Back then, they both showed up with their now-exes—Kim was with Ye, and Lewis was with Nicole Scherzinger.
Kanye even had Lewis over for Easter one year. He talked about it: “Lewis Hamilton’s over at my house, and we’re playing some music in my studio. We’re having Easter brunch—my wife’s family, my friends, everyone’s there. And everybody’s like, ‘What is this music?’ and I’m like, ‘It’s Lewis Hamilton’s music.’”
Since splitting from Ye, Kim’s dated Pete Davidson and moved on. Kanye’s remarried, too—this time to Australian architect Bianca Censori.
Those two have been in the headlines a lot, usually for their wild fashion choices. Things got especially wild when Bianca showed up at the Grammy Awards in a see-through gown. She arrived in a black fur coat but ditched it to reveal a sheer dress that left little to the imagination. People at the event were definitely stunned.
FERRARI SF-26 COMPLETES 121 LAPS IN HISTORIC LEWIS HAMILTON-LECLERC BARCELONA DEBUT
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completed a "productive" 121-lap debut for the Ferrari SF-26 during 2026 testing in Barcelona.
Ferrari kicked off its on-track work for the 2026 Formula One season with a steady first day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc split driving duties in the team’s bold new car, and the whole thing felt like the start of a new chapter.
With the 2026 rules shaking up both the chassis and the power unit, Ferrari didn’t chase lap times. They zeroed in on checking systems, making sure their data lined up, and ironing out any reliability kinks. The weather threw a few curveballs—rain, some dry patches—but even so, they got through their plan and stacked up plenty of laps.
Leclerc seemed upbeat after his first taste of the new machine. He said it felt good to get back behind the wheel and start figuring out the car, even if the focus was just on systems and not raw speed. “We came here to understand how everything works,” he said. “With the weather mixed up, today was all about checks. We finished what we set out to do, and the car did what we expected. It’s a solid start and a decent base.”
Hamilton, now officially in Ferrari red, felt the same. For him, it was a busy day—lots of on-track time, plenty of new things to get used to—but he called it productive. “We got good mileage, learnt a lot, and didn’t hit any big issues. That’s what matters with so many changes coming in. This gives us a strong platform for the next few days.”
Ferrari’s Head of Track Engineering, Matteo Togninalli, stressed how important it was just to get through the day cleanly. “Given the conditions, it went well for us,” he said. Rain or not, they racked up the laps and—most importantly—avoided any real reliability problems. That’s the top priority when you’re shaking down a brand-new car and engine.
Performance talk? Still way too early for that. Right now, Ferrari’s just learning how this new car behaves, gathering data, and building up bit by bit as the days go on—keeping their focus squarely on themselves.