McLaren quietly prepares backup plan as doubts grow over Oscar Piastri

James Allen suggests McLaren signing Fornaroli as backup plan

McLaren have signed Leonardo Fornaroli, the current Formula 2 champion. Like Piastri, George Russell and Charles Leclerc before him, Fornaroli won F2 and F3 titles back-to-back.

Piastri had to wait a year after his F2 title before joining the grid in 2023, after McLaren pulled him away from Alpine.

If he does leave, it looks like McLaren already have their plan in place. They might not even need to look for another big-name driver.

Allen said on his podcast: “I thought that it was extremely interesting that, just a few days before the final race, McLaren announced that they’ve signed Leonardo Fornaroli, who is, like Piastri, like Leclerc, a driver who won Formula 3 as a rookie and then went straight on and won Formula 2 as a rookie.”

“Only special drivers do that. Fornaroli’s gone a little bit under the radar for a lot of people, but he’s obviously a huge talent.”

“That says to me that, first of all, it’s a hedge against Piastri leaving at the end of 2026. They’ve got the next cab off the rank ready to go.”

What those around F2 are saying about Leonardo Fornaroli

Piastri is under contract until the end of 2028 after signing a new deal just before the season started. However, the belief is that most top drivers, if not all of them, can activate exit clauses after the 2026 regulation changes.

Fornaroli has gone ‘massively under the radar’, to quote Autosport journalist Ronald Vording, but it’s unlikely he would have joined McLaren if he believed an F1 seat was out of the question.

The Italian has won four races and scored nine podiums this year for the Invicta team, who also fielded 2024 champion and former McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto.

“McLaren had a great chance to sign him, and at least have a back-up plan, a plan B if Piastri leaves at the end of 2026,” said Vording.

“He has gone massively under the radar, partly because insiders say engines in Formula 2 are quite difficult to judge. Invicta is probably the best team to drive for, but still, it’s not a coincidence to win F3 and F2 in your first year.”