SPOTLIGHT: FORNAROLI TESTS FOR MCLAREN AGAIN ALONGSIDE HUGHES AT PAUL RICARD

Leonardo Fornaroli banked more McLaren laps at Paul Ricard this week, prepping for his upcoming Friday practice debut with the team. The newly crowned F2 champion shared the French circuit with McLaren test driver Jake Hughes in a two-car program.

The session continues McLaren's deliberate build for Fornaroli, who clinched the F2 title this season and now enters the papaya pipeline. FP1 runs are the standard audition for young drivers — 60 minutes to prove pace, deliver sharp feedback, and stay composed under the clock. Fornaroli arrives with more test miles than most rookies get before their first weekend.

McLaren hasn't named which Grand Prix gets the FP1 slot, but the Paul Ricard prep work says they're after real data, not just ticking the rookie requirement box. If Fornaroli delivers clean laps and useful notes when his session comes, he'll position himself for a bigger role in 2027.