Fornaroli gets McLaren hypercar seat alongside continued F1 reserve role

FIA Formula 3 and Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli will make his sports car racing debut next year after becoming the fourth driver announced for McLaren’s 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar program.

The 21-year-old, currently McLaren’s Formula 1 reserve driver, will return to competitive racing in 2027 after spending this year without a race drive.

Fornaroli is the first rookie announced for the McLaren MCL-HY, joining Hypercar veterans Alex Lynn, Mikkel Jensen and Laurens Vanthoor in the lineup that will pilot the Dallara-based LMDh machine. He is also now the fifth F2 Champion since 2019 to have made his way to either Hypercar and/or GTP.

“Joining the McLaren Hypercar Team is an incredibly exciting next step in my career and I’m grateful that my role as McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 reserve driver has opened up this incredible opportunity," Fornaroli said.

"I’m delighted to be continuing in that role next year while also taking on this new challenge. To represent McLaren in the FIA World Endurance Championship and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a huge honour, and I am ready to give everything as we take on this new challenge together.

“I’d like to thank the McLaren driver development program for supporting me throughout my journey and for giving me the opportunity to develop my skills on such a competitive and prestigious stage.”

James Barclay, McLaren Hypercar team principal, said: “Leo is an exceptional talent: winning Formula 3 is a significant achievement, but to follow that by winning Formula 2 as a rookie underlines his natural talent and one of the most exciting drivers in motorsport. His speed, consistency and maturity at such a young age helped him achieve a huge amount in the junior categories and those same attributes make him an exciting addition to our McLaren Hypercar Team.

"We have a great driver lineup forming, which blends experienced sports car drivers and now young talent for our debut season. I worked with Leo briefly in my previous role and his approach and performance impressed me very much, we both look forward to taking on McLaren’s debut season in the World Endurance Championship together.”

McLaren is set to make its Hypercar debut at the 2027 Qatar 1812KM, the opening round of the 2027 FIA World Endurance Championship season, scheduled for March 25-27, 2027.