Lando Norris warns against comparisons but says McLaren’s 2026 car “still feels fast”

2025 Formula 1 champion Lando Norris has claimed that it is hard not to get wrapped up in comparisons with rivals' times during testing, but revealed that he was happy with McLaren's shakedown in Barcelona last week.

The Briton is preparing for the upcoming season as reigning champion. After completing three days of private testing in Barcelona, Norris said the new regulation car "still feels fast and still enjoyable.”

“It’s so easy to get caught up into comparisons, just because we’re all competitive so you always want to see yourself doing well and feeling like you can be quick, but I think we understood a lot, both in lower-fuel stuff, higher-fuel stuff, the tyres,” Norris said on the final day of the Barcelona shakedown, via F1.com.

“Just what we came here to do, really, [which] is to understand the car, especially from a reliability point of view – make sure that all the sensors are working as they should, the PU’s working as it should, the gearbox, whatever it is.

Lando Norris, McLaren

Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

“[Making sure] everything is just doing what we expect, because reliability is one of the most important things, so a lot of it’s from that side, and a lot of it is stuff over the next few days and weeks the team will look into and try to improve on and make better.

“And from my side, just to get back comfy with the car, some little bits I need to change here and there, but otherwise it still feels like a race car, still feels fast and still enjoyable.”

McLaren will unveil the livery of its 2026 challenger at a launch event in Bahrain on Monday 9 February before further testing at the Bahrain International Circuit on 11-13 and 18-20 February. The season will then begin with the Australian Grand Prix from 6-8 March.