Fornaroli completes third McLaren Formula 1 test at COTA

McLaren Continues Fornaroli's F1 Development at Austin

Reigning Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli has completed his third Formula 1 test with McLaren, this time at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas — a venue selected in large part due to his presence at the Canadian Grand Prix as the team's reserve driver the previous week.

The 21-year-old Italian, who joined McLaren's driver development programme as a reserve after failing to secure a race seat in the world championship following his F2 title success, has been steadily building his F1 experience through a structured programme using the team's 2023-spec MCL60. He shares reserve duties with IndyCar frontrunner Pato O'Ward.

A Step-Up Run Plan at COTA

Fornaroli completed 77 laps — totalling 425km (264 miles) — across Wednesday and Thursday at COTA, working through a varied programme as shifting temperatures throughout the two days generated a diversity of grip conditions.

"The run plan consisted of a mix of long and short runs, grid start procedures and formation lap practice," McLaren confirmed in an official statement.

This outing built on Fornaroli's previous outings — 112 laps at Barcelona in March and 68 laps at Silverstone the month prior — and marked a clear progression in the complexity of the work undertaken. The COTA test introduced practice starts, which Fornaroli described as a meaningful step in deepening his understanding of what F1 machinery demands.

"It's always amazing to drive an F1 car," the Italian said. "I'm grateful to McLaren for giving me another opportunity to get behind the wheel of the MCL60. 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. Everyone in the DDP continues to support and push me with these tests as I continue my development."

It was also Fornaroli's first experience of the iconic Texas layout. "This was my first time driving around COTA. I really enjoyed it, and I am already looking forward to my next opportunity in an F1 car. Until then, I'll be supporting the F1 team in the simulator for the Monaco GP."

The mention of simulator support is notable — while McLaren has been busy on the technical development front, Fornaroli's simulator work ahead of Monaco underscores how integrated he has become within the Woking operation, even without a race seat. His development path at McLaren continues to take shape with each passing test.