No plans for another Norris Hypercar test... for now

There are no further plans for Lando Norris to get behind the wheel of McLaren’s MCL-HY LMDh prototype as it stands, according to McLaren’s sportscar team boss James Barclay.

The reigning Formula 1 world champion sampled the new-for-2027 FIA WEC-bound Hypercar both at the Goodwood Festival of Speed back in July and more recently during a track test in Portimão. But for now at least, there’s no expectation he’ll be on track again with the sportscar team in the short term.

“For now, no,” Barclay told reporters during this weekend’s WEC meeting in Barcelona, when asked whether he had plans to test the car again. “Of course, we'd love to have him back. He's got a very busy program and a very clear priority on Formula 1. But yeah, it was great that he drove with us, and for sure, never say never.

“He wants to come and jump in the car again, and I know he’d like that if schedules allow. But no more than that for now.”

Barclay described Norris’s involvement in the ongoing test program for the car as “awesome”.

“The fact that he wanted to drive the car and really push it was great,” he added. “It shows how attractive the category is to the world’s top drivers at the moment. And of course, he gets in the car and does a fantastic job. His quality is clear; it was great to see him in the car and straight on the pace.

“It was also really interesting, his feedback, because it’s the first time he’s driven a car like this. Of course he raced at Daytona, so it’s not a completely unique space for him. But we got a good barometer of where the Hypercar is, its areas of strength and where we can make gains. It was really positive, and so much so that he had a flight to catch and he almost missed his flight because he was enjoying debriefing with us!”

Norris has sampled the new MCL-HY but isn't likely to get back behind the wheel again soon. Drew Gibson photo

Norris has long been tipped for a drive with McLaren in Hypercar alongside his F1 commitments, specifically at Le Mans. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown previously revealed that both Norris and his F1 teammate Oscar Piastri “would love to” take part in the French classic last year during the WEC’s season opener at Qatar.

That stance doesn’t appear to have changed. Barclay noted that Norris remains “great food for thought for the future.”

“He has a long career ahead of him, and I have no doubt that at some point in time he’ll want to tick the box," he teased.

In the meantime, McLaren is still putting together its full-time Hypercar driver line-up ahead of its debut season in 2027. So far, Mikkel Jensen, Laurens Vanthoor and Alex Lynn have been formally announced.

Barclay revealed that the team’s first test with a full roster of six drivers will take place next month, after the current WEC season comes to a close at Monza. At that point, the team will also begin testing with two chassis.

“I’m really looking forward to that,” he said. “It will be nice to get the whole band together, have them all testing and bonding and building. We’ve got an amazing team so far, but we want to get the last members on board.”