McLaren concluded the second day of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain with a strong and clear message: the MCL40 is reliable, competitive, and allows Lando Norris to complete an impressive 149 laps, the highest total of the entire field. The day was intense, built around a tight schedule covering everything from aerodynamic testing to long runs, and culminating with an afternoon race simulation. The 2025 world champion focused on setup, handling in traffic, and overtaking manoeuvres, gathering valuable data to better interpret the new 2026 regulations. In a technical context that is constantly evolving, McLaren continues to build methodology, trust, and a solid foundation on which to develop the car over the coming weeks.
A hammering 149 laps
McLaren has reason to be satisfied: day two of testing in Bahrain provided the team with a comprehensive workload and an MCL40 capable of logging kilometers without hesitation. Lando Norris drove in both sessions, beginning the morning with scheduled aerodynamic tests before moving on to longer runs to accumulate data and better understand the car’s behavior in preparation for the 2026 season.
In the afternoon, the focus shifted to race simulation, including stints in traffic and overtaking exercises to evaluate the car’s performance under the new regulatory conditions. The team closed the day with additional live pit stop practice, completing a tightly packed program without any significant issues.
Norris: “Many laps, many things to learn”
At the end of the day, Lando Norris provided a positive and practical assessment. He stated that it was a productive day, with many laps and many things to learn. Completing so many laps was very useful, and they learned a great deal about the car and the new regulations, providing additional data to analyze and refine going forward.
The 2025 world champion also praised the team, highlighting that their hard work during the first test was essential. He emphasized that being able to complete the highest number of laps on the day was a direct result of the team’s dedication and effort.
Norris already has his eyes on the next sessions, noting that the team would return to better understand Oscar Piastri’s performance and begin preparing for the second test next week. He expressed his excitement about getting back in the car and continuing the work with the team.
Houldey: “One of the most productive pre-season days”
McLaren technical director Neil Houldey confirmed the team’s internal satisfaction, stating that they were very pleased with what had been learned during the day. He described it as one of the most productive pre-season days so far, with a large amount of important data collected.
Houldey explained that the focus now shifts to analysis, using the information gathered to fine-tune and optimize the car’s performance, particularly following Lando Norris’ afternoon race simulation. He also highlighted that the team is looking forward to seeing Oscar Piastri back in the cockpit, concluding the final day on track with plenty of work to continue building a solid foundation for the team.
Clear direction for McLaren
McLaren emerges from the second day of testing with a clear picture: reliability, a structured approach, and Lando Norris’ ability to turn every stint into valuable data. The MCL40 appears to respond consistently to the team’s requests, while the engineering approach remains one of the team’s strongest assets. Today, Oscar Piastri will take over to complete the work, but the direction is already promising: step by step, McLaren is building a competitive base to face the new technical era of Formula 1.
Leave a Reply