Leonardo Fornaroli Set for Second McLaren Practice Run in Hungary as Haas Considers Him for Ocon’s 2027 Seat

• Leonardo Fornaroli will make his second Formula 1 practice appearance of the season, taking over Oscar Piastri’s McLaren for first practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix
• The 21 year old Italian has also tested Haas’s 2025 car, with team principal Ayao Komatsu confirming the squad is keeping its options open on him for Esteban Ocon’s seat in 2027
• McLaren chief executive Zak Brown has already said Fornaroli is “definitely worthy of being in F1” as the double Formula 3 and Formula 2 champion pushes for a race seat

Leonardo Fornaroli will climb back into a McLaren for Formula 1 practice this weekend, taking over Oscar Piastri’s car for the opening session of the Hungarian Grand Prix. It is the Italian’s second appearance in an F1 car on a grand prix weekend this year, arriving five weeks after he first sat in for Lando Norris at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.

The 21-year-old’s growing workload behind the wheel goes beyond his own team. Fornaroli has also spent time in a Haas car this year, and Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has confirmed the American-owned outfit is keeping its options open on the Italian as a candidate for Esteban Ocon’s seat in 2027.

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Building on a Promising Barcelona Debut

Fornaroli’s first taste of grand prix machinery came at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last month, when he took over Norris’s car for first practice and completed 22 laps, ending the session fifth on the timesheet. That outing followed a string of private tests in older McLaren machinery after he signed to the team’s Driver Development Programme in December, on the back of winning back-to-back Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles.

This time Fornaroli takes over Piastri’s MCL40 around the Hungaroring, a circuit he will be experiencing in current-specification machinery for the first time. “I’m looking forward to driving the MCL40 in this weekend’s Free Practice 1 at the Hungaroring,” Fornaroli said. “Every session is a chance to learn more, gain confidence and contribute to the team’s programme for the weekend.”

He added that his build-up had taken him through both simulator work and physical preparation. “I’ve been very busy in Woking over the past few weeks preparing this session in both the simulator and at the Optimum Nutrition McLaren Performance Hub, to make sure I’ll be ready as I can,” he said. “I’m really grateful to everybody at the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team for all the support they’ve given to me so far. I can’t wait to get out on track on Friday, have fun and make the most of every lap to help the team.”

His running arrives as McLaren introduce what the team has called a valuable package of upgrades on the MCL40 in Budapest, including a new floor and other aerodynamic parts, meaning Fornaroli’s session will feed directly into the team’s development plans for the rest of the season.

Haas Keeping an Eye on Its Options

Fornaroli’s ties to Formula 1 are not limited to McLaren. In June, McLaren loaned him to Haas for a Testing of Previous Cars run in Jerez, where he drove the team’s 2025 car, the VF-25, alongside Haas reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa. The test came amid speculation that Fornaroli could join Haas full-time in 2027, potentially taking the seat currently held by Esteban Ocon.

Speaking ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Komatsu was careful not to commit to anything, but did not rule it out either. “At the moment we are not deciding anything,” Komatsu said. “We’re simply keeping the options open. We are not in a hurry, but Leo did a great job in the test.”

A Crowded Weekend for Rookies

Fornaroli is one of five drivers taking over a car for first practice in Budapest, as teams fulfil Formula 1’s requirement to run a rookie in at least two sessions across the season for both of their cars. Frederik Vesti replaces championship leader Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes, Paul Aron takes over Franco Colapinto’s Alpine, Ryo Hirakawa drives Oliver Bearman’s Haas, and Colton Herta gets another run in Valtteri Bottas’s Cadillac.

Vesti, who last drove for Mercedes in first practice at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, said he was relishing the return. “I’m really excited to get back behind the wheel of the W17 and continue building my experience with the car,” Vesti said. “It’s a great opportunity and one I’m looking forward to making the most of.”

Backing From the Top

Fornaroli already has an endorsement from McLaren’s own boardroom. Speaking at the British Grand Prix weekend, team chief executive Zak Brown was asked whether there were “real possibilities” of Fornaroli joining Antonelli as a second Italian driver on the grid. “Yeah, I think there are,” Brown said. “He’s a great talent. He’s been doing some testing with us, and so hopefully he’ll secure an F1 seat. I think he’s definitely worthy of being in F1.”

For now, Fornaroli’s route into a race seat runs through sessions like Friday’s in Budapest, ninety more competitive minutes to make his case before Formula 1 breaks for its summer shutdown at the end of the weekend.

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Written by

Jack Renn

Jack Renn is an editor at F1 Chronicle and a veteran motorsport journalist with 25 years of experience covering Formula 1 and international motorsport. A member of the Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive (AIPS), the global body representing accredited sports journalists, Jack has spent his career reporting from paddocks and press rooms across the F1 calendar. His work spans race analysis, technical insight, and in-depth features, giving readers authoritative coverage grounded in decades of firsthand experience at the highest level of the sport.

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