Formula 1 drivers are increasingly looking beyond their own championship for new machinery, and according to Motorsport.com Italia, Lando Norris is the latest to join the trend. The reigning world champion recently climbed behind the wheel of the McLaren MCL-HY LMDh at Portimao, sampling the Dallara and McLaren-built prototype that the British team will campaign in the World Endurance Championship starting next season.
Far from a simple joyride, Norris admitted during the Wednesday media sessions in Baku that his time in the Woking team's endurance beast yielded valuable takeaways for his day job in the grand prix paddock. As a genuine racing fanatic, his initial goal was pure fun, but the engineering freedom found on the hypercar immediately caught his attention.
"I didn't go there with high expectations. I was just looking forward to going, having some fun and driving a new car. I'm a racing fan, so I like driving anything," Norris explained.
Once out on track, the reigning world champion discovered a machine vastly different from his current grand prix mount. He noted that the LMDh platform features significantly heavier weight and far less downforce than a modern Formula 1 car, requiring a distinct driving adaptation while still delivering an undeniably fast and thrilling sensation.
Crucially, Norris pointed out that the hypercar category offers engineers and drivers a level of setup freedom that modern Formula 1 regulations simply do not allow. The flexibility to tweak electronics and adjust various systems reminded the British driver of an older era of the top flight.
"I think the level of detail that they work with is really crazy. And in some situations they have a much bigger freedom to do certain things with the car than what we are allowed to do in Formula 1. For as much as you might think in Formula 1 you can do whatever you want, it's actually not quite like that," Norris said.
"Also regarding the way you can modify the various systems and fine-tune the car, you actually have a lot more margin with the hypercar, especially regarding electronics and all these aspects. It's really interesting to see what you can do. It's a bit more like the old Formula 1, when there was a lot more freedom on what you could do, and that's a positive thing."
Ultimately, every lap in a different machine serves a deeper purpose for the McLaren driver. By experiencing different driving styles, learning from fellow drivers on site, and experimenting with setup parameters outside of Grand Prix racing, Norris believes he has gathered insights that will directly benefit his approach in Formula 1, keeping his focus entirely locked on his primary championship.
