Leonardo Fornaroli has packed eight months of work into McLaren's test programme, logging two FP1 sessions, multiple TPC runs, and serious sim time as he angles for a 2027 race seat. The back-to-back F3 and F2 champion made his Friday practice debut in Barcelona in June, clocking fifth-fastest, then ran again in Hungary while serving as McLaren's reserve behind Piastri and Norris. The 21-year-old Italian also got TPC laps with Haas at Jerez — a telling detail given Haas's perpetual seat shuffle. McLaren CEO Zak Brown confirmed the obvious at Silverstone: Fornaroli is "definitely worthy of being in F1." Fornaroli himself is direct: "We're working on it, trying to make it happen." Whether that means Haas, another McLaren customer team, or a dark-horse grid slot, the pieces are moving. More FP1s and TPC sessions are locked for the second half of 2026, which means more auditions. The Haas connection is the one to watch.
Read the full story at formula1.comFORNAROLI ON TESTING FOR MCLAREN AND PUSHING FOR A RACE SEAT
Leonardo Fornaroli has packed eight months of work into McLaren's test programme, logging two FP1 sessions, multiple TPC runs, and serious sim time as he angles for a 2027 race seat. The back-to-back F3 and F2 champion made his Friday practice debut in Barcelona in June, clocking fifth-fastest, then ran again in Hungary while serving as McLaren's reserve behind Piastri and Norris. The 21-year-old Italian also got TPC laps with Haas at Jerez — a telling detail given Haas's perpetual seat shuffle. McLaren CEO Zak Brown confirmed the obvious at Silverstone: Fornaroli is "definitely worthy of being in F1." Fornaroli himself is direct: "We're working on it, trying to make it happen." Whether that means Haas, another McLaren customer team, or a dark-horse grid slot, the pieces are moving. More FP1s and TPC sessions are locked for the second half of 2026, which means more auditions. The Haas connection is the one to watch.
