McLaren in testing at Imola
The two McLaren drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, have been conducting private tests since yesterday at the Imola circuit with a 2021 car.
The Woking stable had a difficult start to the season. After two challenging weekends in Bahrain and then in Jeddah, Norris and Piastri were spared from the chaos in Melbourne, allowing them to score their first points of the year.
If Formula 1 takes a break of nearly a month before the next Grand Prix, McLaren drivers are far from being on vacation. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have been driving on the Imola track since yesterday and will continue until tonight. It is also the opportunity for the young Australian driver to try out this circuit for the first time, which will host a Grand Prix on May 21st. They are behind the wheel of the MCL35M, the 2021 car. This choice is explained by the fact that they obviously do not have the right to drive with the current car, and since it is more than two years old, the MCL35M allows them to cover unlimited mileage.
McLaren has already hinted that changes will be noticeable at the upcoming Grand Prix in Baku from April 28th to 30th.
The teams are therefore hard at work at the factory to make improvements as quickly as possible. This work is now being done without James Key, who is no longer the technical director and has been replaced by various people. Among them, David Sanchez, who recently arrived from Ferrari, will not be able to start working before January 1, 2024, in order to comply with the non-compete rule.
