McLaren Hypercar Debuts at Goodwood on Lando Norris’ Fast Lane
McLaren’s new MCL‑HY hypercar made its first public appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, launching the 1.16‑mile hillclimb twice under Formula One champion Lando Norris’ wheel.
That Friday’s runs saw Norris tackle the course before handing the seat to development driver Gregoire Saucy who drove the same LMDh specimen, while Norris later sprinted his own 2023‑spec McLaren MCL60 Formula 1 car on Saturday.
“My first ever drive in the MCL HY, an absolute pleasure here at Goodwood – always a pleasure to be here in Goodwood in the first place – but to drive the McLaren on its debut and one of the first times is an honor,” Norris said after the two laps.
The drivers kept the push measured, aware that a misstep on a brand‑new power‑train would set the development schedule back.
“The first test is always a learning experience; memories of Lamborghini’s early SC63 setbacks still surface,” noted Team Principal James Barclay.
Adding to the excitement, Norris replied, “It’s a big project for McLaren to head to Le Mans, and I got to have a little taste already, which is very special. I would like to push it a little more, it’s a bit daunting to do it here at Goodwood, but one day, one day, you never know. I’ll get to drive it on a racetrack and really see what it can do. I’m so very happy, very excited for all the boys and girls that are part of the HY project and yeah, I wish them all the best.”
McLaren unveiled the MCL‑HY in May, but the car had hitherto only seen private tests in Italy.
Lando Norris Provides First‑Hand Insight
“I could taste the road in Goodwood and recognize the potential ahead, and we’ll see it on a track and push it further,” Norris added, punctuating the excitement that surrounds the upcoming endurance.\
Technical Backbone: LMDh Spines and Hybrid Power
The hypercar is built on the Oreca LMDh chassis that underpins sister projects from Acura, Alpine, Genesis and Ford, powered by a V6 twin‑turbo engine and a rear‑axle LMDh‑compliant hybrid system, capped at a combined output of 520 kW.
Testing Strategy and Future Roadmap
Barclay remarked, “But the truth is, it’s extremely early in our test program so it was very lightly penciled in. The team has hit every target on and off‑track, so we made the last‑minute call to divert the MCL‑HY to this event for two of the four days.”
“We want to climb Mount Everest and we have made it to base camp.” Barclay added at Le Mans, “We have prepared exceptionally well, but now the real hard work begins.”
Building the Team Behind the Project
During a Motorsport.com interview, Barclay stressed, “I think the biggest thing is the team. You have to hire a really great group of people, not just anybody.”
Veteran Mikkel Jensen drives testing duties but missed Goodwood due to his IMSA schedule at Mosport, while Laurens Vanthoor will gear up as a factory driver, balancing IMSA commitments with the WEC marathon.
From a nighttime climb at Goodwood to a potential Le Mans victory in 2027, the MCL‑HY’s journey has only just begun, and the road ahead is as ambitious as its 520‑kW promise says it will be.
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