Fornaroli stays in McLaren fold after Haas door closes

Leonardo Fornaroli will remain firmly inside the McLaren system in 2027 after Haas chose Rafael Camara for its vacant Formula 1 seat.

The reigning Formula 2 champion had been an outsider for the Haas drive, but McLaren has now issued two announcements setting out his next steps.

Fornaroli will race for McLaren’s new Hypercar program in the World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, while continuing as the Formula 1 team’s reserve driver.

"I’m delighted to be continuing in that role next year while also taking on this new challenge," the Italian said.

McLaren has also confirmed further F1 running before the end of this season. Fornaroli will drive the MCL40 in FP1 in Mexico and Brazil after completing a Paul Ricard test in the 2025 car.

The combination keeps Fornaroli close to McLaren’s F1 operation at a time when Oscar Piastri has endured a difficult 2026 season.

That will inevitably fuel speculation over Fornaroli’s longer-term route into Formula 1, particularly given that he matched Piastri’s feat of winning Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles in consecutive seasons.

But McLaren CEO Zak Brown has backed Piastri to recover.

"I appreciate what I’m seeing from Oscar," he said.

"He feels more confident and has a better grasp of the situation. I’m happy with the current position of both our drivers."

Brown is already looking towards next year.

"It has been a tough year, a learning year," he admitted.

"But I want to finish the season on a high note, so that we can compete for the championship in 2027."