Arrow McLaren to test F2 champ Fornaroli

FIA Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli is expected to test for the Arrow McLaren IndyCar team during the offseason. The Italian, who was signed by the McLaren Formula 1 team as its reserve driver, is without an F1 ride this year.

“He's part of the McLaren driver program, and that's why we create the program, to develop the talent of the future, and he’s already got the talent, right?” Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan told RACER. “But his priority is Formula 1. Is he going to test an Indy car? Most likely, unless he signs with a team in Formula 1 before, because we can only do that test with him after the season.”

Although the 21-year-old is known to be fond of IndyCar and could be a valuable contributor at one of Arrow McLaren’s evaluation test days, he isn’t necessarily in the frame to race for McLaren’s IndyCar team in the future.

The Indiana-based squad made use of Enzo Fittipaldi for multiple evaluation-day runs in the past, and with the need to find a new talent to deploy for an evaluation outing, Kanaan is keen on seeing what Fornaroli can do in a 750hp twin-turbo V6-powered hybrid Dallara DW12.

“Don't read too much into it because we can’t test with Enzo again, who did a phenomenal job for us, but you can only use the same person so many times because of the rules,” Kanaan added. “I can only do an evaluation day after our season is over in the beginning of September, so it's not happening before that.”

Arrow McLaren has Pato O’Ward under a multi-year contract, but faces two signing needs as Christian Lundgaard is on the final year of his two-year deal and Nolan Siegel is in the last season of his agreement with the team.