McLaren hands Fornaroli second FP1 shot in Hungary

McLaren junior Leonardo Fornaroli will be back in the F1 saddle at the Hungaroring with the young Italian enjoying his second FP1 outing of the season with team papaya.

The 21-year-old Italian will take over Oscar Piastri’s MCL40 for Friday’s opening session at the Hungaroring, just weeks after making a highly encouraging FP1 debut in Barcelona, where he deputized for Lando Norris’ car.

The latest outing underlines McLaren’s growing confidence in one of its brightest young prospects, with the Woking-based squad keen to give Fornaroli further experience as it evaluates his long-term future in Formula 1.

The timing is particularly significant.

McLaren heads to Budapest armed with an important upgrade package as it looks to close the gap to championship rivals Mercedes, while also responding to Ferrari’s recent gains, particularly through slower-speed corners.

That means Fornaroli will play a role in one of the team's most important practice sessions of the season, helping gather data on the revised MCL40 before Piastri takes over for the remainder of the weekend.

McLaren's faith in rising Italian talent

Fornaroli has steadily enhanced his reputation since claiming last year's Formula 2 title, and his performances have not gone unnoticed inside McLaren.

Team principal Andrea Stella has already acknowledged that the team is exploring opportunities to place its junior driver on the Formula 1 grid in the future, with the young charger recently linked to a potential seat at Haas alongside Oliver Bearman should an opening arise.

Budapest therefore offers another valuable opportunity for the Italian to demonstrate his speed, technical feedback and ability to adapt quickly at the highest level.

Fornaroli is not the only rookie set for Friday action.

Haas will hand Toyota-backed Ryo Hirakawa another FP1 appearance in place of Bearman, while Alpine reserve Paul Aron will replace Franco Colapinto for his third rookie session of the year after previous outings with Audi in Barcelona and Austria.

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Under Formula 1's rookie driver regulations, every team must field a rookie in four FP1 sessions across the season, with each race car required to complete two of those appearances.

Fornaroli's latest outing ensures McLaren continues to meet that obligation while giving one of its most promising young talents another chance to shine on the grand prix stage.

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