Leonardo Fornaroli won back-to-back F3 and F2 championships in 2024 and 2025, despite not representing a Formula 1 driver academy.
This changed, however, after the conclusion of last year’s Formula 2 title. McLaren picked up the young Italian and he is now one of the leading members of their young driver programme.
Fornaroli will no doubt feature in free practice sessions this season. The Italian will likely take the place of either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri at certain points this year.
He could also be considered for a seat in 2027, particularly in such a dynamic driver market. However, with both Norris and Piastri being highly rated drivers on multi-year deals, an opening at McLaren is unlikely.
Fornaroli gains new development role
Fornaroli’s F2 performance earned him a spot in the McLaren driver academy, alongside several notable names. In 2026, he will be the official F1 Reserve Driver, as well as Test and Development Driver, as per a McLaren press release.
He is not the only reserve for Norris and Piastri, though. IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward will also wait in the wings behind Norris and Piastri, alongside his IndyCar role for Arrow McLaren.
Fornaroli will also undergo an “intensive” testing and simulator programme to continue his development. He will also help the F1 team prepare new upgrades in the first year of the new regulations.
When asked about his new role, Fornaroli said: “I’m thrilled to be stepping into an extended role with the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team as Reserve Driver as part of the McLaren Driver Development Programme.
“It’s an exciting next step in my journey, and I’m looking forward to contributing to such a successful, Championship-winning team this season. A big thank you to Zak [Brown], Andrea [Stella] and Alessandro [Alunni Bravi] for this opportunity.”
The full McLaren driver academy
Fornaroli and O’Ward aren’t the only exciting prospects in McLaren’s driver academy, with several more promising talents in the junior formulas and other racing series.
When asked about the full driver programme, McLaren’s Chief Business Affairs Officer (Alessandro Alunni Bravi) said: “The team are pleased to confirm its Driver Development Programme line up alongside their racing and testing programmes for 2026.
“Within this, it’s great for Leonardo to step up into the Reserve Driver role for the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team as part of his development with us, with Pato O’Ward also continuing in this role.
“We have selected an incredibly talented group of nine drivers, which shows the health of our talent pipeline.
“We are all excited to see their development this season as we create professional drivers across all aspects of racing, progressing towards Formula 1, IndyCar and the team’s upcoming World Endurance Championship entry.”
The full list is as follows:
Richard Verschoor – The Dutch F2 veteran has departed the junior series to join McLaren’s academy as a test driver for the WEC team. He is set to compete in the DUQUEINE team in an LMP2 car.
Matteo De Palo – Trident Motorsport will house De Palo for his debut in F3 this season, following a Vice-Champion finish in Formula Regional in 2024.
Ella Lloyd – F1 Academy’s Rookie of the Year, Lloyd looks to build on her impressive year. Last year, she also took part in a Formula E test for McLaren, but they have since been left to focus on their WEC entry.
Ella Stevens – Stevens is McLaren’s second entry into F1 Academy for the 2026 campaign. She topped the Rookie Test in September, before officially confirming her participation in November.
Dries Van Langendonck – The 2023 World Junior Karting Champion graduates to single-seaters. The Belgian will compete in British Formula 4 and Formula Winter.
Christian Costoya – Like Van Langendonck, Costoya graduates to single-seaters to F4. He will also compete in the Italian F4 Championship, the Euro 4 Championship and the Formula 4 Middle East Championship.
Ella Häkkinen – Mika Häkkinen’s daughter is the youngest member of the McLaren driver programme. She will undergo a testing programme in F4 as preparation for the 2027 season.
Main photo: McLaren Racing Media Centre
