Leonardo Fornaroli's rapid ascent through the junior ranks has already earned him an FP1 outfing with McLaren, but next week, the young Italian will add to his valuable F1 experience when he joins Haas for a two-day Testing of Previous Cars programme in Spain.
The McLaren reserve driver is set to drive Haas machinery at Jerez on Wednesday and Thursday, and while the test does not necessarily point to an imminent move, it provides Fornaroli with something every aspiring Formula 1 driver desperately needs: meaningful mileage in a grand prix car and another chance to strengthen his growing reputation within the paddock.
The opportunity also highlights the increasingly collaborative approach teams are taking with reserve and development drivers. With race seats scarce and testing opportunities limited, young talents are often encouraged to gain experience wherever it is available.
Fornaroli's latest outing comes after a highly encouraging appearance for McLaren last Friday in Barcelona, where he stepped into Lando Norris' car for the opening practice session.
The Italian quickly settled into the MCL40, completed his programme efficiently and ended the session an eye-catching fifth on the timesheets. That performance did not go unnoticed.
McLaren keen to expand Fornaroli’s opportunities
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was full of praise for his fellow Italian following his Barcelona outing and made it clear the team views Fornaroli as a driver with genuine Formula 1 potential.
“I’m very happy with his attitude, speed and consistency,” said the McLaren chief.
Stella also suggested that helping Fornaroli gain experience across the Formula 1 landscape is a priority for the team, even if McLaren's own race seats are unlikely to become available in the near future.
“Leonardo is definitely an asset for Formula 1 and we want him to drive. He could certainly do that for McLaren Racing in the future, but at the same time we are working together to explore every opportunity that may arise in Formula 1,” he said.
Those comments are likely to fuel speculation about Fornaroli's long-term prospects.
Haas has stressed that the test is part of its authorised TPC programme, which allows the American team to evaluate and assess drivers using previous-generation Formula 1 machinery.
Nevertheless, whenever a highly-rated junior driver receives track time with another team, questions inevitably follow.
Read also: F1i Driver Ratings for the 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix
Fornaroli will drive last year's Haas challenger during the test, sharing track duties with the team's current reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa.
Whether the outing develops into something more substantial remains to be seen. Haas has not indicated that it is evaluating Fornaroli for a future race seat, and cross-team testing arrangements involving reserve drivers have become increasingly common in Formula 1.
In Barcelona, for example, Alpine-backed Paul Aron gained Formula 1 experience through practice appearances with Audi.
Yet the significance of the opportunity should not be understated.
Fornaroli has spent much of the past two years building a compelling résumé through championship-winning performances in Formula 3 and Formula 2. Now he is beginning to accumulate the Formula 1 mileage needed to turn potential into possibility.
The Jerez test may not immediately reshape the driver market, but it represents another important chapter in the career of one of motorsport's most promising young talents – and another chance to convince Formula 1 teams that he belongs on the grid sooner rather than later.
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McLaren junior Fornaroli in action with Haas in Jerez F1i.com.
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