McLaren has confirmed that Leonardo Fornaroli will make his second Formula 1 practice appearance at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix, replacing Oscar Piastri for the opening 60-minute session at the Hungaroring.
The 21-year-old Italian, who secured back-to-back F3 and F2 championships before joining McLaren's driver development programme, made his FP1 debut in Barcelona last month driving Lando Norris's car. Now, as McLaren's Development Driver and reserve, he will step into Piastri's MCL40 for valuable track time.
"I'm looking forward to driving the MCL40 in this weekend's Free Practice 1 at the Hungaroring," Fornaroli said. "Every session is a chance to learn more, gain confidence and contribute to the team's programme for the weekend."
The Italian has been preparing extensively at McLaren's Woking base, combining simulator work with time at the Optimum Nutrition McLaren Performance Hub to ensure he is ready for the demanding Hungaroring circuit.
Alongside Fornaroli's FP1 outing, McLaren is introducing a significant upgrade package for the Hungarian round. The developments include a new floor and aerodynamic components designed to improve the MCL40's performance as the team aims to close the gap to the front of the field.
During Friday's opening practice session only, McLaren will also trial a developed version of the experimental rear wing that was originally scheduled for testing at the Austrian Grand Prix. The team has indicated this wing is not planned for full introduction in Hungary or at the following race in the Netherlands.
Randy Singh, McLaren's Senior Director of Racing, described the Hungarian Grand Prix as "a very different challenge" and "the final race before the summer shutdown." He highlighted that the Hungaroring demands a high-downforce package and rewards confidence under braking, strong corner entry, and good traction.
"We have an upgrade package arriving this weekend too," Singh added. "In such a competitive season every development is important so it will be great to gather further understanding on how those parts perform throughout Free Practice."
The Hungarian Grand Prix marks the last round before Formula 1's traditional summer break, with McLaren looking to carry positive momentum into the shutdown.
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