Norris confident in McLaren’s simulator correlation after Bahrain test

Reigning Formula 1 World Champion Lando Norris says McLaren can take encouragement from the strong correlation between its simulator and the real‑world behaviour of his McLaren, following three days of pre‑season testing in Bahrain.

While the team continues to chase Mercedes’s early advantage, Lando Norris believes McLaren has made meaningful progress and now has a clearer understanding of where performance gains can be found.

Asked whether his 2026 F1 car’s development matched what McLaren had seen in virtual preparation, Norris confirmed that the team’s expectations were largely met.

“I think so,” he said, noting that the car’s evolution across the test aligned with simulator predictions.

He added that McLaren had made visible steps forward during the week: “I feel like we made some steps from [day to day]. The biggest thing is hopefully until next week we can make a bit more progress and make something of all the data we've been getting over the last few days.”

Norris highlighted that the new McLaren’s handling characteristics were generally consistent with what he had experienced in the simulator, a crucial factor under the new 2026 regulations.

“It has been handling at times better than on the sim, and in some moments maybe not as good, but the correlation between the sim and the track seems pretty decent,” he explained.

“I just did my debrief now and there wasn't too many bits of feedback I needed to give. I think the sim team have done a good job with us.”

With the new hybrid systems placing unprecedented demands on energy deployment, Norris stressed that simulator work has become more important than ever.

“It's more important than ever at the minute, the simulator, in utilising and maximising the battery side of things, which runs correctly, and also trying to improve the car at this stage of the year.”

Red Bull still ahead — but McLaren encouraged
While Norris acknowledged that Red Bull appears to hold an early advantage, particularly in energy deployment, he remains optimistic that McLaren can close the gap as the team processes the extensive data gathered in Bahrain.

The second pre‑season test, beginning next week, will be crucial for refining the FW48 and translating simulator gains into on‑track performance.