2025 F1 champion Norris to test McLaren's Le Mans hypercar at Portimao before Azerbaijan GP

Lando Norris will test McLaren’s MCL-HY hypercar at the Algarve International Circuit on Monday 14 September, just days before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, as the team accelerates development of the machine it plans to race at Le Mans from 2027.

The MCL-HY is McLaren’s entry into the FIA World Endurance Championship, built around a V6 twin-turbocharged mid-engine producing 697 horsepower, with Dallara responsible for the chassis. The Portimao test will give McLaren structured feedback from Norris, who became the 2025 Formula 1 world champion and has already sampled the car at Goodwood.

Norris has been open about his desire to race at Le Mans. “I still feel like I want to go and try other things,” he said in a McLaren video posted in May 2026. “Do Le Mans — now McLaren are doing Le Mans, so maybe go and do that at some point.” He reiterated that ambition during the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, telling reporters he would “love” to take on the endurance challenge.

The test comes in the wake of a difficult Spanish Grand Prix at the new Madring circuit, where Norris started from pole but was caught out by an ill-timed virtual safety car that cost him the race lead. He ultimately finished third, behind race winner Kimi Antonelli and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Antonelli’s victory — his eighth of the season — extended his drivers’ championship lead to 81 points over Mercedes team-mate George Russell. Norris sits fourth in the standings, behind Lewis Hamilton, meaning the Portimao hypercar test arrives at a moment when the Briton will be keen to reset before the Baku street circuit.

McLaren’s WEC programme represents one of the most high-profile manufacturer entries into endurance racing in recent years, and using their reigning F1 champion as a development driver underlines how seriously the Woking outfit is treating the project ahead of its 2027 debut.