Leonardo Fornaroli has completed his second F1 test with the McLaren, taking to the wheel of the MCL60 at Silverstone as the 21-year-old continues to build his understanding of grand prix machinery.
A step up from Barcelona
The Italian, who serves as McLaren’s Reserve Driver, completed 68 laps totalling 393 kilometres around the Northamptonshire circuit on Tuesday, working alongside the team’s Testing of Previous Cars division. The session marked a significant step forward from his debut outing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in March, with a more demanding run plan designed to push his development further.
“Another good day on track. It was amazing to be back in the MCL60,” Fornaroli said. “Silverstone is one of my favourite circuits, so I’m grateful to McLaren for the opportunity to get back behind the wheel of an F1 car there.”
More complex running, more understanding
The programme focused on longer runs, varied fuel loads, and work across both Hard and Soft tyre compounds. Fornaroli described the step up in complexity from his first F1 test with McLaren, as a valuable learning experience. “With it being my second test, the run plan was more advanced, so I got to try some different setups and run with different levels of fuel, which continues to support my understanding of driving a Formula 1 car.”
Life between the tests
Between his two tests, Fornaroli has remained deeply embedded within the McLaren operation. He attended the Japanese Grand Prix to provide trackside support and has spent considerable time at the McLaren Technology Centre, putting in extensive hours in the simulator alongside close collaboration with the team’s engineers.
More to come in 2026
The young driver was encouraged by his progress on the day. “I’m very happy with today, and I continued to make improvements from my test a few weeks ago, getting even more comfortable with these machines,” he said.
McLaren intends to continue running Fornaroli in the MCL60 across a variety of circuits throughout the year, with further tests already planned as part of his ongoing development under the McLaren Driver Development Programme.
Fornaroli is clear-eyed about the importance of the testing schedule to his progression. “I look forward to continuing to test this year, something that is very important as part of my role as McLaren Mastercard Reserve Driver, and for my development within the DDP programme.”
