McLaren Steps Up Fornaroli’s F1 Test Program

McLaren continued Leonardo Fornaroli’s Formula 1 preparation with a third Test of Previous Cars outing in the 2023 MCL60 at the Circuit of the Americas, where the reigning Formula 2 champion completed 77 laps and 425km across Wednesday and Thursday.

The Austin run extended a substantial private programme for Fornaroli after he missed out on a full-time F1 seat. He joined McLaren as a reserve driver following his F2 title and shares that role with Pato O’Ward, but the team has kept him in the car regularly through its TPC schedule. Before COTA, he logged 112 laps at Barcelona in March and another 68 at Silverstone last month.

This latest test also increased the demands on the 21-year-old. McLaren said the run plan included a mix of long and short runs, grid start procedures and formation lap practice, with the team choosing Austin after Fornaroli had already been in North America the previous week as reserve driver at the Canadian Grand Prix.

The conditions added another layer to the exercise. Reports from the test described warm, humid weather and intermittent light drizzle on the opening day before cooler temperatures arrived on the second, giving Fornaroli a changing track and varying grip levels on his first laps at COTA.

In McLaren’s post-test statement, Leonardo Fornaroli, McLaren reserve driver and reigning Formula 2 champion, said he could feel the progression from his previous outing. “It’s always amazing to drive an F1 car,” he said. “I’m getting more comfortable with the car and also the team. The run plan was a step up from my last test in Silverstone. We got to do some practice starts, which continued to give me a better understanding of what it takes to drive an F1 car in a session.”

Three tests at three different circuits in the MCL60 now give Fornaroli a broader base of mileage as McLaren continues building his experience in an F1 environment, even without a race seat.