Leonardo Fornaroli to test for Haas at Jerez

McLaren reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli will test for Haas at the Circuito de Jerez Ángel Nieto in Spain this week, adding valuable Formula 1 mileage as he seeks a full-time seat for the 2027 season. The 21-year-old Italian, the reigning Formula 2 champion, will participate in Haas's Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) program on Wednesday and Thursday, driving last year's VF25 car alongside the team's current reserve driver, Ryo Hirakawa.

The test follows Fornaroli's impressive Formula 1 practice debut for McLaren last Friday at the Spanish Grand Prix, where he finished fifth in the timesheets while substituting for Lando Norris. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella praised Fornaroli's performance and professionalism, highlighting his proactive approach to engineering feedback and his ability to execute specific data-gathering tasks under challenging conditions.

Stella emphasized that McLaren is actively working to help Fornaroli gain experience across the Formula 1 landscape, even though a race seat at McLaren is not immediately available. He described Fornaroli as an asset to the sport and said the team is exploring opportunities for him to drive elsewhere.