Lando Norris had his first run in the McLaren MCL40 at Barcelona on Monday, with Oscar Piastri following suit a day later. The new Formula 1 season gives both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri something to prove, though each is coming from a very different place heading into the year.
Lando Norris had his first run in the McLaren MCL40 at Barcelona on Monday, with Oscar Piastri following suit a day later.
The new Formula 1 season gives both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri something to prove, though each is coming from a very different place heading into the year.
Norris is out to defend his championship after claiming the title in dramatic fashion at last season’s final round.
Piastri, meanwhile, is hoping for a fresh start after seeing his own title hopes fall apart due to several mistakes down the stretch.
Now that both have tested McLaren’s latest car, only one walks away with early bragging rights ahead of further sessions in February.
Oscar Piastri came within three-tenths of Lando Norris on his first day testing the McLaren MCL40
Oscar Piastri posted a best lap of 1:18.419 during his first outing in the McLaren MCL40, finishing a couple of tenths behind Lando Norris’s 1:18.189 from the day before, according to SoyMotor.
It’s worth noting that both drivers were likely on different run programmes, with Norris completing a full day behind the wheel while Piastri had only a morning session.
Piastri didn’t take part in any afternoon running, which is generally when teams prefer to gather more representative data.
The fastest time overall came from George Russell, who continued to highlight the early strength of Mercedes by being the only driver to break into the 1:16s with a lap of 1:16.445.
So far this preseason, Mercedes look to have the most competitive package on track. Kimi Antonelli backed that up by posting the second-fastest time overall and topping the morning session in their W17.
Fuel problem cut Oscar Piastri’s day four session short
Piastri’s absence in the afternoon was later explained by a fuel system issue, which the team is now investigating further. He previously suffered another mechanical problem during pre-season testing back in February, so it has been far from an ideal start to the 2026 season.
While these types of interruptions are never welcome, identifying problems like this early on is exactly why pre-season testing matters so much for teams.
The Woking team later confirmed that both drivers will split the final day of testing duties, adding that early findings have already highlighted some “performance opportunities to exploit” when they return to headquarters next week.
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Category: General Sports
