FORNAROLI AND STEVENS ON TRACK WITH MCLAREN: “DRIVING IN MONZA IS ALWAYS SPECIAL”

Autodromo Nazionale Monza hosted the first of two Formula 1 testing days, with the McLaren MCL60 – the car used by the British team during the 2023 FIA Formula 1 World Championship – taking to the track. Sharing driving duties were Italian driver Leonardo Fornaroli and McLaren Test & Development Driver the briton Will Stevens.

Fresh from his Formula 1 Free Practice debut at the Barcelona Grand Prix, where he finished an impressive fifth overall in the session, Fornaroli completed the morning programme, covering 36 laps of the historic Monza circuit for a total of 207 kilometres. In the afternoon, Stevens took over the wheel of the MCL60, completing 28 laps and 161 kilometres around the Temple of Speed.

For the young Italian driver, the 2025 Formula 2 Champion and Reserve Driver for the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team, the test was aimed at increasing his mileage in a Formula 1 car and continuing the development path outlined within the McLaren Driver Development Programme. Throughout the day, Fornaroli focused on low-fuel runs and short stints, successfully completing the programme set by the team’s engineers.

The Monza outing marked Fornaroli’s fourth Formula 1 test and forms part of an intensive period dedicated to his ongoing development. The Italian driver will be back in action immediately, taking part in a further TPC test with the Haas team at the Circuito de Jerez.

Will Stevens also used the Monza test to gather valuable data for his simulator development work. For the British driver, it was his first TPC test of the 2026 season, with a programme that included both short runs and longer simulations.

At the end of the day, Leonardo Fornaroli expressed his satisfaction with the work completed:

“I’m always looking forward to the opportunity to drive an F1 car. I’m really pleased with the performance in Barcelona during the FP1 session, and these tests helped me prepare for that opportunity. I always enjoy driving at Monza – it’s such a fast track and the conditions were very good today. I want to thank the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team and everyone involved in the McLaren Driver Development Programme for their continued support and for always providing me with opportunities to develop. I’m grateful to McLaren for allowing me to take part in tomorrow’s test with Haas. I’m looking forward to continuing to build on the progress I’ve made so far.”

Will Stevens also highlighted the value of testing at the Temple of Speed:

“It’s great to be back behind the wheel with the TPC Team. Driving a modern Formula 1 car around Monza is a lot of fun and, most importantly, provides an important reference point for my simulator work. Today we completed a mix of short and long runs, and we’ll continue to add more mileage tomorrow.”

Also on track at Monza was the BWT Alpine F1 Team, with Paul Aron taking part in the testing programme.

(source and photo by McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team)