Haas Gives McLaren Reserve Fornaroli Private F1 Test Opportunity

Haas will run McLaren reserve and reigning Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli in a two-day private test at Jerez. The session gives the 21-year-old Italian a rare chance to impress beyond his McLaren-backed programmes.

Why it matters:

The move highlights Haas’s use of its Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme to evaluate outside talent. Haas is yet to fulfill any of its four mandatory rookie Free Practice outings this year, signalling active scouting for future options.

The details:

• Fornaroli joins Haas reserve Ryo Hirakawa at Jerez for the TPC running, which Haas launched last year with technical partner Toyota.
• The Italian won back-to-back F3 and F2 titles before joining McLaren this year. He starred in his Barcelona FP1 debut, setting the fastest time among the seven substitute drivers.
• McLaren boss Andrea Stella said Fornaroli lost roughly two tenths on the straights in Barcelona through inexperience with the power unit’s energy deployment, yet still finished just 0.650s off Oscar Piastri.
• Stella praised his meticulous approach, noting he constantly consults engineers with detailed feedback while delivering raw pace in the simulator, TPC, and Grand Prix sessions.

What's next:

Strong running could bolster Fornaroli’s case for a future race seat beyond his McLaren reserve role. Haas must still complete its mandatory rookie FP1 sessions this season, leaving room for new faces during official Grand Prix weekends.