Lando Norris Reflects on Promising McLaren Shakedown in Barcelona

Lando Norris expressed satisfaction with his performance in the new McLaren during a shakedown test in Barcelona, completing 77 laps. He will hand over testing duties to teammate Oscar Piastri before returning for more laps. Other teams like Mercedes have also seen positive results. Reliability issues plagued teams such as Haas and Audi.

Formula One champion Lando Norris described his return to the McLaren cockpit as a 'decent day,' racking up 77 laps during a shakedown test at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya on Wednesday. The session marks the first time the new MCL40 has been fully assembled and taken to the track.

After enjoying his time on the track, the 26-year-old Briton will pass the driving duties to Australian teammate Oscar Piastri for Thursday's session before returning on Friday. Mercedes, who supply McLaren's engines, were equally positive about their progress, achieving a significant number of laps with drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

Despite successes from various teams, reliability issues have been a challenge for others. Haas faced problems alongside Audi, which lost valuable time due to technical difficulties with their newly branded engine. Trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin hailed the mileage accomplishments as a positive start.

(With inputs from agencies.)