Photo: Race Pictures

Lando Norris shares 'surreal' moment driving new McLaren at Barcelona

10:42, 29 Jan

byKada Sarkozi

Lando Norris still finds it 'surreal' that he gets to drive his car with the number 1 on it after winning the title in 2025.

"Nice to see a number one on my car. Pretty cool, pretty surreal still. It's a good feeling."

- Lando Norris

Lando Norris and McLaren completed their first laps at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya yesterday.

The defending world champion was happy after his first run in the new MCL40, which was assembled for the first time on Wednesday.

Speaking to F1.com, he explained: "It was just nice to be back, nice to be back here, nice to see a number one on my car. Pretty cool, pretty surreal still. It's a good feeling. Just to be back here, our first day on track, a first time that everyone gets to see the car in one piece. It's literally not been built until this morning.

"It's an incredible thing. Nice to see it all come together. Nice to see all the hard work that everyone does all make that car. And then I get to go and have some fun and drive it, which turned out to be a decent day. "

He continued: "A productive day but it's one that's really about just figuring stuff out, making sure things are working as they should, understanding things, getting our first picture and all of it."

Photo: McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

Norris drives with his new number

As the 2025 Formula 1 world champion, Norris opted for using number 1 on his car for this campaign.

Reacting to seeing his new number everywhere, he said: "I saw it actually earlier on the timing screen and I still find it just unbelievable. It's still a crazy thing to see, especially when you see it now.

"For now it's really the first time I get to see it on my suit, on the car, on the timing screen, all of these things. And it looks good.

"So still, yes, still a surreal feeling, the whole the whole situation of being champion, but it doesn't change anything apart from I'm at the top of the timing screens before we've even gone out because I'm the lowest number now," the McLaren driver added with a smile.

However, according to the British driver, this will not change anything moving forward.

"It's still hard work, a lot of work that we have to put into everything and [the] many laps you've got to complete. So, but it's nice to know that I got that number on," he concluded.

McLaren’s pre-season test continues today in Barcelona, with Oscar Piastri getting his first chance to drive the new MCL40.

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