Fornaroli keeps McLaren F1 role and joins WEC Hypercar debut

Leonardo Fornaroli will continue as McLaren’s Formula 1 reserve and third driver in 2027, while adding a World Endurance Championship campaign in the team’s new Hypercar. The dual programme gives the Italian a route back to competition while keeping him involved in McLaren’s F1 development work.

Fornaroli’s role extends the arrangement he has built with McLaren this season. His 2026 programme has included Testing of Previous Cars running, two appearances in Grand Prix free practice and simulator work. The team’s wider reserve-driver plans were covered in our report on McLaren’s 2026 reserve line-up.

F1 development continues alongside a WEC campaign

Fornaroli said the work with McLaren has been valuable, with each team outing bringing new learning. He expects that experience to help as he adapts to endurance racing, where he will need to become familiar with a new car and the demands of traffic, overtaking and strategy.

The Italian has already sampled the Hypercar, completing a single lap before his first proper test with the team. He described the closed cockpit and the switch from electric power to the combustion engine as new experiences. The test is intended to give him more time in the car and begin his contribution to its development.

McLaren is preparing for its first WEC season with the new machine, and Fornaroli will have an active role in that project. The programme is part of the manufacturer’s return to top-level endurance racing; preparations for the entry have also included testing of the Hypercar.

Le Mans gives Fornaroli a long-awaited racing target

The move also answers Fornaroli’s desire to race again after spending much of his time at events as McLaren’s reserve. He said watching Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri compete from the sidelines had made him eager to return to wheel-to-wheel action.

A place on the 2027 WEC calendar brings another personal milestone: the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Fornaroli said competing there had been a long-standing ambition, and he had not expected the opportunity to arrive so soon.

McLaren’s plan therefore keeps Fornaroli inside its F1 operation while giving him a competitive programme and a part in developing a new car. The 2027 season will put both strands of that commitment into practice, with the Italian set to balance reserve duties and a full return to racing.