McLaren Wraps Up Pre-Break Running With Portimão Test

McLaren kept its engines firing right up to Formula 1's summer break, sending Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli to Portimão for a two-day TPC programme with the 2023 MCL60. The reigning champions banked valuable mileage and data around the Portuguese circuit before closing the garage for the mandatory August shutdown.

Why it matters:

With the championship battle poised to resume at Zandvoort after the break, every lap counts for a team defending its crown. This late-season running provided McLaren with extra data and offered all three drivers—particularly development prospect Fornaroli—valuable seat time in a campaign where marginal gains at the front could prove decisive.

The Details:

• Norris's return: Fresh from claiming his first victory of the 2026 season in Budapest, Norris led the opening day at the very circuit where he first experienced a Formula 1 car years ago. He praised Portimão's fun and challenging corners and confirmed the team hit every target before signing off for the holidays.
• Piastri's debut: Tackling Portimão for the first time, Piastri navigated dramatic elevation changes and notoriously shifting grip levels to complete the full programme despite the tricky conditions.
• Fornaroli's progress: The Italian reserve continued his development path across both days, logging extensive mileage and studying how Norris and Piastri approached the circuit. He noted that gusty winds added complexity but felt his improvement with every lap.

What's next:

The Woking squad now enters the mandatory summer shutdown, a hard-earned pause after an intense opening half of the season. When the grid reconvenes at Circuit Zandvoort, McLaren will look to translate its pre-break preparation into strong results as the 2026 championship fight enters a critical phase.