At the end of August in Portimão, Rafael Câmara, Leonardo Fornaroli and Ryō Hirakawa all took turns behind the wheel of the Haas VF-25. The Brazilian now appears to have moved to the front of the American team’s thinking. For Fornaroli, the future should therefore lie elsewhere.
The Italian is expected to remain with McLaren, where he is a Formula 1 reserve driver, but is set to join the British manufacturer’s Hypercar programme and an MCL-HY that has been racking up the testing mileage.
Which drivers have already been announced for McLaren’s Hypercar programme?
The MCL-HY completed its first run on May 4, 2026, at the Autodromo Riccardo Paletti in Varano de’ Melegari, close to Dallara’s headquarters – the Italian manufacturer responsible for the chassis. Mikkel Jensen, the first driver signed to the programme, was entrusted with that maiden run.
McLaren’s LMDh has since tested at several circuits, including Magny-Cours, MotorLand Aragón, Silverstone and Portimão. Laurens Vanthoor – the second driver officially announced – has driven the car, as have Grégoire Saucy, Ben Hanley, Thomas Fleming and Lando Norris.
The latter four, however, have no guarantee of being part of the race line-up, unlike Malthe Jakobsen and Alexander Lynn, who are set to arrive from Peugeot and Cadillac Team Jota respectively.
But who will join them? While Grégoire Saucy appears to have a genuine chance, another name has recently entered the picture: Leonardo Fornaroli.
Why is Hypercar such a good fit for Fornaroli?
The 2025 Formula 2 champion has everything required to make a case for Formula 1. He is already a McLaren reserve and development driver, works in the simulator and has taken part in FP1 at both the Spanish and Hungarian Grands Prix this season.
Dislodging Oscar Piastri or Lando Norris is another matter. McLaren did try to find him an opportunity with Haas F1 Team. The American squad organised a shootout involving Fornaroli, Rafael Câmara and Ryō Hirakawa. But it is the Brazilian who is now expected to replace Esteban Ocon next season.
McLaren would therefore, quite logically, offer Fornaroli a place in the WEC aboard its MCL-HY. The 21-year-old would still have everything to learn about endurance racing, but his talent is no longer in question. His next task would be adapting to the discipline and its demands.
His driving style, his conduct on track, his consistency and his technical ability all suggest he has the tools to become a very good endurance driver. Being able to learn alongside Mikkel Jensen and Laurens Vanthoor, both of whom bring considerable experience, should only accelerate that process.
With no immediate Formula 1 opportunity available, Fornaroli is right to broaden his horizons. Joining the WEC, the second most sought-after championship in world motorsport, would not mean turning his back on F1 either. He is also expected to remain a reserve driver for the British team.
Who is Leonardo Fornaroli?
Leonardo Fornaroli was something of a late bloomer. After Formula 4 and FRECA, the Italian joined Trident in FIA Formula 3 in 2023. His rookie campaign did little to shake up the established order, but he emerged as a genuine force in 2024, again with Trident. He claimed the title without winning a single race, relying instead on remarkable consistency.
His rivals won more often, but Fornaroli left very few points on the table thanks to an impressive ability to stay out of trouble. It is a quality that should serve him particularly well in endurance racing.
When he won the Formula 2 title the following year with Invicta, the story was rather different. Fornaroli stood on the podium nine times, including four victories, and scored points in 23 of the 27 races on the schedule. Consistency, once again.
It was only after securing that second title in as many years that McLaren signed him. For now, however, that has not been enough to open the door to Formula 1. McLaren made him a reserve driver and Haas gave him an opportunity to prove himself, but no full-time race seat materialised.
This Hypercar opportunity, on the other hand, is one he has no intention of letting slip away.