After Kimi Antonelli, Italy dreams of a second driver on the Formula 1 grid
It will not be easy, but Leonardo Fornaroli has already done enough to convince McLaren to invest in his future. The Italian youngster has impressed not only with his performances behind the wheel, but also with his engineering-minded approach, drawing comparisons to the meticulous style often associated with Adrian Newey.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella spoke highly of the young Italian and confirmed that the Woking-based team is actively working behind the scenes to find him a full-time seat with another Formula 1 team.
An investment for the future
Leonardo Fornaroli made a strong impression on McLaren even before his Formula 1 debut during the first free practice session in Barcelona.
“We have been working with Leonardo for several months now,” Andrea Stella explained. “We have really appreciated his approach, both as a person and as a driver. He is a very interesting character. He appears shy, but he is by far the most proactive driver when it comes to asking questions of the engineers.”
“He walks around with his notebook, takes a huge amount of notes and, whenever he has an idea, he shares it. Then, when he gets into the cockpit, whether it is in the simulator, during a TPC test or a free practice session, he is fast.”
McLaren has repeatedly stated that it intends to continue with its current Formula 1 driver line-up of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Because of that, many believed Fornaroli’s future opportunities could come through the team’s IndyCar programme or its Hypercar project for the FIA World Endurance Championship, which is scheduled to debut in 2027.
However, Andrea Stella revealed that McLaren’s priority is to help the Italian secure a seat in Formula 1.
“Leonardo is certainly an investment for Formula 1 in the future. We want him to race and one day he could even do that for McLaren. We are working together with Leonardo to explore opportunities in Formula 1.”
A positive Formula 1 debut
McLaren’s determination to help place Fornaroli on the Formula 1 grid grew even stronger after his encouraging debut during the opening practice session of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.
“We gave Leonardo some specific tasks during the first part of his session,” Andrea Stella explained. “He had to carry out work with the aerodynamic rakes to help us better understand the behaviour of the new front wing.”
“It was difficult because he had to drive at a constant speed while everyone else around him was running at normal pace. There is a lot of work involved on the steering wheel to maintain the correct speed and stay out of traffic, and he handled it with a very high level of professionalism and precision.”
Andrea Stella also highlighted the pace Fornaroli showed once he was finally given the opportunity to push.
“When we gave him a couple of sets of tyres, one used and one new, he was quick. Looking at the lap time he set, you could probably remove a couple of tenths because he lost them on the straights.”
“With these power units, you need a certain level of familiarity, and as soon as you find yourself dealing with traffic, the battery charge is no longer at its maximum level and you are penalised on the straights. Overall, I am very pleased with his attitude, his speed and his consistency.”
The comments underline how highly McLaren rates Leonardo Fornaroli and suggest that the team sees genuine Formula 1 potential in the Italian. While a seat at McLaren itself may not be available in the short term due to the presence of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, the Woking squad appears determined to help open the door to Formula 1 and ensure that one of Italy’s most promising young talents gets an opportunity to prove himself at the highest level of motorsport.
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