McLaren has confirmed that reigning Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli will step into Oscar Piastri’s MCL40 for the opening free practice session of the Hungarian Grand Prix this Friday. The outing marks Fornaroli’s second official Formula 1 weekend appearance as McLaren’s reserve and development driver, following a successful practice debut in Barcelona earlier this season.
According to a report by RacingNews365, the Italian prospect completed his first official session in Spain with an impressive fifth-place finish, demonstrating immediate comfort with the machinery. As he targets a permanent spot on the F1 grid for the 2027 season, every minute behind the wheel of the MCL40 is a vital audition to prove his readiness to the team’s leadership and the wider paddock.
Fornaroli’s Preparation and Ambitions
Fornaroli has spent the weeks leading up to the Budapest round undergoing rigorous preparation at McLaren’s headquarters in Woking. His training program included extensive simulator work and physical conditioning at the Optimum Nutrition McLaren Performance Hub to ensure he can maximize the limited 60-minute session on Friday.
“I’m looking forward to driving the MCL40 in this weekend’s Free Practice 1 at the Hungaroring,” Fornaroli stated ahead of the event. “It’s going to be another fantastic opportunity to continue my development with the car and build on the valuable work we completed together with the team in Barcelona. Every session is a chance to learn more, gain confidence, and contribute to the team’s programme for the weekend.”
He expressed gratitude to the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team for their ongoing support, emphasizing his readiness to gather critical data for the team’s engineering staff during the opening hour of running.
The Strategic Impact on Piastri and McLaren
While the session is a major milestone for Fornaroli, it requires Oscar Piastri to sit out the first hour of on-track running. The Hungaroring is a highly technical, high-downforce circuit often described as “Monaco without walls.” Missing FP1 means Piastri will have one less hour to adapt to track conditions, dial in his car setup, and evaluate tire degradation, putting additional pressure on his Free Practice 2 and 3 programs.
However, McLaren’s decision is aligned with the FIA’s mandatory rookie practice regulations, which require teams to field a driver with no more than two Grand Prix starts in at least two FP1 sessions per season. By running Fornaroli in Hungary, McLaren fulfills part of this obligation while continuing to benchmark their junior talent under competitive weekend conditions.
A Busy Session for Rookies in Budapest
Fornaroli will not be the only young talent on track during Friday morning’s session. The Hungarian Grand Prix weekend is seeing several teams utilize FP1 to run rookie drivers. Haas will field Toyota-backed reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa, while Alpine is giving Paul Aron his first FP1 outing of the season with the French squad. Aron previously filled in for test duties at Audi during the Spanish and Austrian race weekends.
Additionally, Mercedes junior Fred Vesti is scheduled to take over one of the W17 entries for the opening hour of practice in Budapest. This influx of young talent guarantees a highly dynamic FP1 session as teams balance their primary race preparation with the development programs of the sport’s next generation.