Leonardo Fornaroli has been handed a double assignment by McLaren for 2027, with the Italian retaining his F1 reserve role with team papaya while joining the outfit’s World Endurance Championship Hypercar programme.
For the 2025 F2 champion, the announcement offers a welcome escape from the sidelines. After spending much of 2026 immersed in McLaren’s F1 operations, Fornaroli will get the chance to race again while continuing to develop his credentials within the Woking outfit.
It is a significant vote of confidence from McLaren, which intends to use the 21-year-old’s versatility across two demanding programmes as it prepares to return to the top level of endurance racing.
From the F1 simulator to the Hypercar cockpit
Fornaroli’s F1 reserve-driver duties will continue in 2027 following a season of testing previous-generation cars, two Friday practice appearances and extensive simulator work.
The experience has offered him a valuable education in F1, even if it has left him hungry for more time in competition.
"The programme McLaren has given me this year has been incredible," Fornaroli told Motorsport.com.
"The TPC days I've completed with the team, the two FP1 sessions and all the work I've done in the simulator have been extremely valuable experiences.
“Every time I work with the team, I learn something new. I want to thank McLaren for the support and the development opportunities they're giving me."
Those lessons should prove useful when he tackles endurance racing, where traffic management, strategy and adapting to different machinery will present an entirely new set of demands.
"All of this will also be very important for the WEC, because it's an extremely competitive championship and there will be so much to learn, from overtaking to strategy, as well as, of course, getting to know a completely new car,” he added.
Read also: McLaren reveals upgrade push to close gap to Red BullFornaroli has already sampled McLaren’s new Hypercar, although his first outing amounted to little more than a brief introduction. His initial lap gave him a taste of the car ahead of a more substantial test programme.
"It was a great experience," Fornaroli admitted.
"Getting into a closed cockpit for the first time, shutting the door and setting off first on electric power before the combustion engine kicked in was something completely new to me, but really, really cool. I can't wait to get back in the car and complete my first proper kilometres with the team."
Big ambitions for McLaren’s endurance return
The Italian will contribute to the Hypercar’s development as McLaren builds towards its WEC debut. It is an ambitious undertaking, but Fornaroli believes the team has assembled the ingredients needed to make an impact.
"It's an amazing feeling to be part of this programme,” he said. “Obviously, it will be our first year in the WEC, but I'm very confident. The driver line-up is extremely competitive, with some very experienced drivers and some very talented young drivers.
"The engineers are highly skilled, and so are the mechanics. We're talking about McLaren, a team that has achieved some incredible successes throughout motorsport history. Racing with them next year is going to be amazing."
For a driver whose recent career has revolved around preparation rather than wheel-to-wheel combat, that final prospect may be the most enticing of all.
McLaren is giving Fornaroli continuity in F1 without confining him to the garage or simulator – a dual-track opportunity that could prove invaluable to his long-term future.
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