2024 F3 and 2025 F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli has completed his first laps in an F1 car with McLaren at the Circuit de Catalunya on Monday and Tuesday.
He drove the MCL60, the team’s 2023 challenger. This opportunity came via the TPC programme. Every team can run a reserve driver in a car for private testing providing it is at least two years old.
While the ground effect cars and Power Units are very, very different to the new era of F1 in 2026, this provides the Italian youngster a great opportunity to learn many things about machinery at the top level of Motorsport.
Consistency and championships lead to F1 reserve opportunity
Despite not winning a single race in the 2024 F3 season, the 21-year-old Italian won the championship by 25 points in the end. Seven podiums and regularly scoring points ultimately saw him beat Gabriele Minì to the title.
Last year was very impressive. Following a solid start to his rookie season in F2, the Invicta driver soon took off. A first single-seaters win in four years at Silverstone was the catalyst.
He went on to take three more, ultimately taking the title by 36 points.
The departure of Alex Dunne from the McLaren academy opened the door for Leonardo Fornaroli to sign for the Woking-based squad.
He shares reserve driver duties with McLaren IndyCar driver Pato O’Ward in 2026. It is expected they will share FP1 opportunities later in the campaign.
Leonardo Fornaroli, reserve driver, McLaren F1 Team, said:
“It’s an amazing feeling to drive an F1 car on track.
“The last two days have been incredible, and I have learned a huge amount across a wide range of aspects of driving in F1.
“While these cars are quite different to those of the current generation, getting time behind the wheel is still essential in my capacity as a reserve driver, as well as helping me to correlate the feeling of physically driving when working in the sim as part of my role supporting the team.
“Thank you to everyone at McLaren for this opportunity, I am excited to get back in the car and to continue developing as a driver.
“Now, I am heading to Japan to support the team across the race weekend.”
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Chief Business Affairs Officer, McLaren Racing, said:
“The team are very pleased with Leonardo’s test in Barcelona. He made fantastic progress throughout, getting to grips with the F1 car incredibly quickly, and continuing to demonstrate the traits we’ve seen throughout his successful junior career of consistency and his rapid ability to learn and perform.
“Tests like these are vital in ensuring he’s prepared as the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team’s reserve, as well as for his development within our driver development pathway.
“Congratulations to Leo for completing his first test in an F1 car, something he will never forget. We look forward to seeing his continued progress across his work in the car and in the simulator as he continues to intensively test this year.”
