Leonardo Fornaroli to Lead McLaren FP1 Sessions in Mexico and Brazil

Leonardo Fornaroli, the reigning F2 champion, is set to return to the McLaren cockpit for the Free Practice 1 sessions at the upcoming Mexico City and São Paulo Grands Prix. The Italian driver will step in for Lando Norris at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and Oscar Piastri at Interlagos, continuing his integration with the papaya squad.

Why it matters:

While Fornaroli narrowly missed out on a full-time F1 seat with Haas—losing the bid to Rafael Camara—his relationship with McLaren remains pivotal. These sessions are more than just track time; they serve as a strategic bridge toward his confirmed role in McLaren's Hypercar program for 2027, ensuring he remains ingrained in the team's high-performance culture and technical ecosystem.

The details:

• FP1 Schedule: Fornaroli will operate the MCL40 in Mexico City and São Paulo, adding to his previous outings in Barcelona and Budapest.
• Regulatory Compliance: These sessions are essential to satisfy the FIA-mandated rookie FP1 criteria, ensuring the driver is eligible for future race opportunities.
• Preparation: His readiness was bolstered by extensive simulator work and "Testing of Previous Cars" (TPC) using the 2025 double World Championship-winning chassis.
• Primary Objective: The focus is on gathering critical data to optimize the final race setups for Norris and Piastri.

The big picture:

This move highlights McLaren's long-term talent management strategy. By utilizing Fornaroli in F1 practice sessions and transitioning him to their WEC/Hypercar effort, McLaren retains a top-tier talent capable of providing technical feedback and representing the brand across multiple racing disciplines.

What's next:

Fornaroli's performance in the high-altitude conditions of Mexico and the technical challenges of Brazil will serve as the final litmus test of his 2026 F1 contributions before he pivots his primary focus to the 2027 Hypercar campaign.