McLaren completed a three-day private test at Portimao with three drivers. Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Leonardo Fornaroli shared the 2023 MCL60. The programme ended before Formula 1 entered its summer break.
The team used testing of previous cars rules for the running in Portugal. Those rules allow modern teams to use machinery that is at least two years old. The MCL60 therefore provided useful mileage without using the current race car.
Norris completed 49 laps during his day in the cockpit. Piastri followed with 55 laps, while Fornaroli recorded 47. The three totals gave McLaren a broad set of driver comments.
Three drivers, three different tasks
Norris already knew the Algarve circuit from earlier stages of his career. He first drove a Formula 1 car there during a 2017 test. That experience helped him settle quickly into the older McLaren.
Piastri had not previously driven a Formula 1 car at Portimao. The Australian therefore spent his first laps learning the steep elevation changes. He also worked through the fast final corner and the heavy braking zones.
Fornaroli approached the test from a different position. The Italian serves as McLaren’s reserve and development driver. His day connected simulator work with the behaviour of a real Formula 1 car.
McLaren placed the three drivers in the same basic car across the test. That made their comments easier for engineers to compare. The team could separate driver preference from the MCL60’s known characteristics.
Why the MCL60 still matters
The MCL60 belongs to a very different stage of McLaren’s recent history. It began 2023 with limited performance and received major upgrades during the season. Those changes helped the team return to regular podium contention.
A previous car remains valuable because it still delivers genuine speed and physical load. Drivers feel braking forces, tyre movement and changing grip through long runs. A simulator can reproduce those areas, but not every sensation.
The older car also lets race drivers regain rhythm away from a Grand Prix. Drivers can repeat procedures without preparing for qualifying or a race. That creates time for detailed feedback after every run.
For a reserve driver, the benefit is even clearer. Fornaroli can compare simulator impressions with a full-size car on a demanding circuit. The engineers can then refine the language used during future development sessions.
Portimao provides a demanding reference
Portimao combines blind crests, sharp descents and corners with unusual camber. A driver often commits before seeing the complete exit. That layout exposes hesitation and rewards a stable platform.
The long main straight also creates a clear braking test into the first corner. Drivers arrive there after the car becomes light over the final rise. Consistent pedal feel is important across repeated laps.
Formula 1 last raced at the circuit in 2020 and 2021. The championship has already confirmed a return for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. The private test therefore carried extra value for all three drivers.
Piastri now has an early reference before the venue returns to the calendar. Norris refreshed knowledge gained much earlier in his career. Fornaroli gained his first sustained Formula 1 mileage at the circuit.
Useful work before the pause
The timing allowed McLaren to finish its track programme before the factory shutdown. The sporting rules require every team to observe a fixed summer closure. Most departments stop normal work during that period.
The test did not change the championship standings or the current car specification. Its value came from driver preparation and shared technical language. Those gains can support later simulator sessions and race-weekend communication.
Fornaroli also watched how Norris and Piastri described the same machine. That comparison is important for a young reserve driver. It shows which details help engineers make useful decisions.
McLaren left Portugal with 151 completed laps across the three days. The mileage was divided closely between the drivers. Each completed a full working day without taking time from the current race programme.
What each day added to the programme
Norris opened the test with the largest bank of recent McLaren experience. His comments gave the engineers a reference for the following two days. They could compare later feedback with a driver who knows the team’s current procedures.
Piastri then completed the highest lap total of the three drivers. His 55 laps covered more than a normal Grand Prix distance at Portimao. The uninterrupted running gave him time to learn a circuit he had not driven before.
Fornaroli finished the programme after working mainly in development roles this season. A real car asks different physical questions from a simulator. Braking force, heat and changing wind remain part of every lap.
The test also placed three generations of experience inside one garage. Norris brought knowledge from McLaren’s difficult and successful seasons. Piastri added current race experience, while Fornaroli supplied a development driver’s view.
Testing an older car does not reveal the pace of the present McLaren. The MCL60 uses different parts and belongs to another rules cycle. Its purpose in Portugal was mileage, driver work and reliable comparison.
All three drivers completed their planned running before the final day ended. McLaren recorded the work through completed laps and driver comments. The team received three sets of feedback from the same circuit.
Lap totals from the three days
McLaren published the lap totals after the third day ended. Piastri recorded 55, Norris completed 49 and Fornaroli added 47. Together they produced 151 laps in the MCL60.
The published gallery showed all three drivers working at the same venue. Norris and Piastri wore their current McLaren equipment. Fornaroli also appeared in full team colours during his track day.
The MCL60 carried the older floor, bodywork and cockpit layout from 2023. It was not presented as the car used in the current championship. Its bodywork therefore differed from McLaren’s 2026 race car.
Portimao returns to the Formula 1 calendar in 2027 and 2028. Piastri and Fornaroli now hold recent driving experience at the circuit. Norris has added another visit to knowledge first gained in 2017.
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