A good first day on track in Brazil gave the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team encouraging signs as they introduced front and rear wing updates to the MCL40 alongside some small floor components.

Two busy practice sessions at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace provided plenty of data, with the upgrades delivering a positive step forward that should help the team fight for the top positions.

McLaren Mastercard F1 Reserve Driver, Leonardo Fornaroli returned to the car for Free Practice 1 in place of Oscar Piastri, completing the Italian's fourth appearance of the season after completing three other Free Practice 1 sessions in Barcelona, Budapest and Mexico City. Leo did a good job, collecting valuable data for the team while also getting the opportunity to show his talent on used tyres in the previous specification of the MCL40. His running also completed the team's rookie driver obligations for 2026.

The opening session focused heavily on understanding the updates. Both Leo and Lando Norris started with aerodynamic rakes fitted. Lando ran the new rear wing while Leo retained the previous version, giving the team a useful cross-car comparison. Both drivers made regular visits to the pit lane to compare the standard and new front wings at different flap levels, with incremental changes to the active opening spread.

Lando followed a more conventional tyre programme, starting on the Medium before switching to the Soft. Leo began on the Soft, completing four out-in runs before moving to the Medium midway through the session before both finished the hour with a performance run on used Softs. Lando ended FP1 fastest with a 1m11.717s lap while Leo completed the session in P11, rounding off a productive session of data collection and performance work.

With Oscar back in the car for the afternoon session, Free Practice 2 followed a more conventional programme, building on the learning from FP1. Both drivers began the session on a Hard compound as Lando also switched to the upgraded floor. A slow puncture on Oscar's Hard set shaped the long-run plan: after their Qualifying simulations, Oscar ran the Soft while Lando returned to the Hard. Lando finished P2 and Oscar P5, with further encouraging signs from the updated package.

A few spots of rain left the track greasy in the second half of FP2, but did not unduly disrupt the run plans. Overall, it was a good productive Friday: the car looked competitive and the upgraded components worked as expected. The gains are a good step rather than a dramatic leap but should put the team in a position to fight towards the front.

Tonight's focus is on studying the data and optimising the car around the updates. The big question now is the weather, which remains the key uncertainty heading into Qualifying tomorrow.

Lando Norris: "It's been a positive day. FP1 was a pleasant surprise, and although we found FP2 slightly more challenging compared to Mercedes, our pace relative to the rest of the field looked strong. We've been working through the upgrades, and the first signs are encouraging: we seem to have gained performance and a little lap time.

"The upgrades are designed to bring more load and grip, rather than alter the car's handling, but they can still affect how the car feels. The car has been tricky this year, but today it felt a little more straightforward and positive, which is a good start to the weekend. We'll analyse everything carefully and make sure we do our best to prepare, particularly with very wet conditions expected on Saturday."

Oscar Piastri: "A reasonable session to start the weekend. Everything feels good and the upgrades look positive, which is encouraging. We'll now keep building on that to put ourselves in the best window for Qualifying tomorrow afternoon.

"There's still a bit of work to do to catch the cars ahead, but overall, I think it was a pretty successful first day. Thanks to Leo for his efforts in FP1 and the useful work he did for the team. We've got plenty to look through tonight, and hopefully we can take another step forward in the remaining sessions."

Leonardo Fornaroli: "It was a positive FP1 session today, this was my first time at the circuit and I really enjoyed it. There was a lot to get through, particularly with the aerodynamic work at the start but I'm pleased with the progress we've made since Mexico. The car felt good, and I'm happy with all the work we completed today.

"Once more, thank you to the Zak, Andrea and the rest of the team for the opportunity and all their support this season. This was my final FP1 session of the year, but I'll keep working in the simulator and supporting the team as Reserve Driver for the remaining races of the season."

Randy Singh - Senior Director, Racing: "It has been an encouraging day for the team. We brought a new upgrade package, including a revised front wing, and the data from both practice sessions indicates that it is delivering exactly as anticipated. Both drivers were immediately competitive, with Oscar doing a fantastic job to hit the pace straight away in FP2 despite sitting out the opening session in tricky, misty conditions. Leo too did a very good job in FP1, helping the team to collect very important data but also being able to show his natural speed, despite he had to run on a set of used Softs when he had the possibility to properly push for the lap time.

"The car feels like it has taken a small step forward compared to recent events, putting us in a much stronger position to compete near the front. Looking ahead to Qualifying, the margins remain extremely fine across the field; a good session could easily be the difference between the front row and starting seventh or eighth. We will complete our due diligence on the data tonight before confirming our setup for the remainder of the weekend."

Check out our Friday gallery from Interlagos here.