McLaren have confirmed the signing of Leonardo Fornaroli after he secured the F2 championship in Qatar ahead of former McLaren driver Alex Dunne.
Fornaroli joined F1 stars Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto in a very exclusive club of drivers who won the F2 championship in their rookie season.
The 20-year-old confirmed his title in Lusail after finishing the feature race in second despite losing the lead to Victor Martins on lap one.
With the only other drivers to match his accomplishments cruising into F1, the decision to join McLaren has raised eyebrows given both Piastri and Lando Norris have longterm contracts.
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However, Fornaroli is convinced McLaren will allow him to reach his career goals at the top of the motorsport ladder.
“I’m incredibly proud to be joining the McLaren Driver Development Programme after another successful year on track," he told McLaren.com
"Winning both the FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2 titles has been an important step in my journey, and I’m motivated to take the next step in my development through the programme as I work toward my ultimate goal of racing at the highest level.
“I’m very grateful to McLaren for this opportunity, and to everyone who has supported me throughout my career so far. I can’t wait to get started and work closely with the rest of the team."
The F2 champion wasn't the only signing confirmed on Tuesday, with Richard Verschoor and Christian Costoya also joining the McLaren development driver programme.
While on paper it may seem like a full-time future is F1 is beyond the horizon for Fornaroli, speculation surrounding Piastri's future at the Papaya team has risen in recent weeks.
It has been claimed by Swiss outlet Blick that Piastri has begun 'setting his sights' on potentially moving away from McLaren due to his treatment in 2025.
Earlier in the year, Piastri put pen to paper on a new deal until the end of 2028, but the possibility of a vacant seat emerging at Ferrari for 2027 could present an opportunity for him to move teams.
Topics: Formula 1, McLaren, Motorsport, Oscar Piastri
Tom Jenkins