Rain, a drying track and long runs
McLaren announced on November 10 that reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli had completed his seventh and final Testing of Previous Cars outing of 2026 at Jerez. He shared the MCL39 during the two-day test with test and development driver Nyck de Vries.
Arriving after his São Paulo FP1 appearance, Fornaroli covered 58 laps and 254km. Morning rain provided his first experience of F1 Intermediate tyres, which are used on wet surfaces below the conditions requiring full wets.
After a pause to let the circuit dry, he switched to Soft tyres. Afternoon work included long runs and different balance settings in strong winds, exposing him to changing conditions across the programme.
Staying ready for reserve duties
TPC uses previous-generation cars to provide track time. McLaren tailored Fornaroli’s programme to his development and readiness for reserve duties. It also supported preparations for his four FP1 appearances in Barcelona-Catalunya, Hungary, Mexico City and São Paulo.
Fornaroli said the Jerez work resembled his Paul Ricard programme, with long stints and different setups. Comparing it with his first F1 drive in Barcelona in February, he felt his driving and approach had improved with the team’s support.
De Vries completed 69 laps and 306km in his first TPC outing with the team this year. He said time in the MCL39 supported his test and development role.
The end of the year’s programme
The TPC team also tested in Barcelona, Silverstone, Austin, Monza, Portimão and Paul Ricard during the year, and collaborated with Pirelli on tyre tests including at the Nürburgring and Mugello. Jerez was its final event of 2026.
Fornaroli will return to the United States to support McLaren through the closing races. He also looked ahead to work across the team’s F1 and Hypercar programmes in 2027.
