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Newly-crowned Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli has joined McLaren's revamped junior programme roster, and will take on a test and development role within its Formula 1 team.
McLaren caused a minor stir this year with several high-profile exits from its junior ranks - with a split with eye-catching F2 rookie Alex Dunne followed by exits for sometime Kimi Antonelli title rival Martinius Stenshorne and long-time protege Ugo Ugochukwu.
It has now added Fornaroli instead, the announcement coming fresh off Fornaroli sealing the 2025 F2 title as a rookie with a round to spare in Qatar.
The Italian, who will turn 21 on Wednesday, had been a relatively under-the-radar prospect for the first four years of his junior single-seater career, with only a single race win at the Formula 4 level, but had a career-changing two seasons in 2024 and 2025.
He first clinched a Formula 3 title at the final corner of the campaign, with a overtake at Monza's Parabolica (though a post-race disqualification for his title rival Gabriele Mini would have given him the crown anyway), then broke clear of a mid-season F2 championship fight for an early back-to-back coronation.
In both campaigns Fornaroli drove for the current standout team in the category - Trident in F3, Invicta in F2 - but his instant impact as an F2 rookie led many to wonder why no F1 team had picked him up and why no rookie free practice opportunities had materialised, something that will presumably change in 2026.
Fornaroli is not the only addition to McLaren's junior roster in this latest intake, though he's the only one with anything resembling immediate F1 prospects.
Richard Verschoor, level on points for second in the F2 standings behind Fornaroli, has also come on board, as has Spanish karter Christian Costoya.
Costoya, at 15, will be a longer-term F1 bet, coming with huge karting pedigree that includes an FIA European Championship title and runner-up in the FIA World Championship ahead of a Formula 4 debut this off-season.
Verschoor turns 25 this month. A former Red Bull junior, he has spent five seasons now in F2 - so might be more realistic a candidate for McLaren's upcoming World Endurance Championship foray or other motorsport exploits.
"All three talented drivers have shown great racecraft with multiple wins this season, alongside a number of impressive performances in their respective championships. By welcoming Christian to the programme alongside long-standing member, Dries Van Langendonck, we now also have two of the most promising drivers coming out of karting," said Alessandro Alunni Bravi, formerly the Alfa Romeo/Sauber F1 team representative, now at McLaren.
McLaren Driver Development Programme
Pato O'Ward
Leonardo Fornaroli
Richard Verschoor
Matteo De Palo
Ella Lloyd
Ella Stevens
Ella Hakkinen
Dries Van Langendonck
Christian Costoya
The Race Says
Scott Mitchell-Malm
This move makes a lot of sense for both parties given McLaren has just cleaned house with its young driver programme. And its Fornaroli’s chance to replicate what Gabriel Bortoleto did as a later-career addition to the McLaren scheme.
McLaren was really pleased with his progression, and happy to facilitate his F1 graduation elsewhere when Sauber/Audi came calling.
Fornaroli is in a surprisingly similar position, unattached until now probably because of results in lower categories. He’s done a fantastic job in F3 and F2 but he had unspectacular results in junior single-seaters before that, and even his F3 title came without winning a race.
You never know the exact circumstances these drivers face but he just looked like a decent driver who was certainly not on his way to F1. And those early impressions do stick in F1 especially as teams pick up these drivers so young, they’re either still in karting or very early on in their junior single-seater career.
He’s done a great job over the last 18 months to emerge as one of the most, if not the most, interesting junior drivers around. Perhaps his reputation in the F1 paddock hasn’t caught up with his CV – but McLaren always looked like a great fit as a team that not only has very recent history picking up drivers at that stage of their career, but also having wiped out the majority of its roster so recently.
Sometimes drivers just don’t find themselves in the right place at the right time. Fortunately for Fornaroli, his free agency did not hurt his trajectory – and now he’s in a very good position after all.
