McLaren will slot 2025 Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli into Friday’s FP1 at the Hungaroring, taking the seat originally reserved for Oscar Piastri.
Fornaroli steps up again
The 21‑year‑old Italian, who took over Lando Norris’ MCL40 during Barcelona’s Friday Free Practice 1, will now run the knockout car one more time in Budapest. It marks his second practice outing with the Woking outfit after his debut at the Friday event last month.
McLaren’s management has publicly praised Fornaroli’s performance, with team principal Andrea Stella hinting at potential opportunities for him elsewhere on the grid. The driver has recently been linked with the second Haas seat alongside Oliver Bearman, following uncertainty over Esteban Ocon’s long‑term future.
In the meantime, Haas will still omit Bearman from the Budapest FP1 session, opting to field Toyota protégé Ryo Hirakawa instead. Alpine’s reserve driver Paul Aron will make his third FP1 appearance of the season, stepping in for Franco Colapinto after two loan slots at Audi earlier in the year.
McLaren’s upgrade push
McLaren is flying a substantial batch of upgrades into Budapest, aiming to shrink the gap to Mercedes as the track’s high‑speed corners favor the competitors’ SF‑26, which has proven marginally quicker than the MCL40 on bends.
Regulatory rookie duties
F1 regulations require each team to start rookie drivers in four FP1 sessions over the season, with two per car, ensuring a pathway for emerging talent across the grid.
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