Reigning Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli, who lost out to Rafael Camara in the race for the vacant 2027 seat at Haas F1, has been confirmed by McLaren in their Hypercar line-up for the 2027 World Endurance Championship (WEC). The Italian keeps his McLaren reserve driver role for 2026 and 2027 and will take part in FP1 sessions in Mexico and Brazil. Former Invicta Racing team boss James Robinson said leaving Fornaroli outside Formula 1 would be a "crime against the junior ladder".
Fornaroli became the fifth driver, after Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto, to win Formula 2 in his debut season. In Robinson's view, the Italian is currently the biggest talent not racing in Formula 1. The move into McLaren's WEC programme will allow him to keep real racing mileage alongside his simulator work.
