McLaren have found a 2026 secret weapon that Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will both benefit from

Follow us on Google Discover

McLaren know better than any team in the paddock how fine the margins can be in Formula 1.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both made hard work of trying to win the drivers’ championship last season, allowing Max Verstappen back into the fight despite their clear pace advantage.

McLaren will want to avoid a repeat of that in 2026, but the upcoming regulation changes could completely mix up the pecking order on the grid.

Mercedes are being touted as having the best power unit next year, but whether that’s actually the case will only be known once all 11 teams take to the track.

Who will be the next driver OUTSIDE McLaren to win an F1 world championship?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

If the Mercedes-powered teams do have an advantage, then McLaren will need to find an extra edge over Mercedes, Williams and Alpine.

A piece of business they did at the end of the season could prove to be the difference after signing Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli.

Fornaroli has been tipped for an F1 seat, and while that’s not going to arrive immediately with McLaren, he could be essential to Andrea Stella’s team returning to the top of the standings.

READ MORE: All you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine

New McLaren signing Leonardo Fornaroli praised for ‘excellent’ technical feedback

It’s yet to be seen whether Fornaroli will take part in a new racing series in 2026, or if he’ll be just a test driver alongside fellow F2 driver Richard Verschoor.

Journalist Samarth Kanal was speaking on the Road to F1 Podcast, part of The Race’s Patreon, and reflecting on Fornaroli’s 2025 campaign, he said: “He’s quite a quiet person, really. It’s funny, he won the championship in such an unspectacular way, in a sense, one Feature Race win.

“And I think that’s exactly the way you have to do it nowadays. His peaks just weren’t as high as the other drivers. He’s not a spectacular driver.

“But apparently, his technical feedback is excellent, and he’s insanely competitive and gets quite annoyed about stuff behind the scenes, he’s intensely competitive basically, and his technical feedback’s excellent, is what Invicta has said.

Which drivers can count themselves LUCKY to be on the 2026 F1 grid?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

“They really highly rate him, and they have since the start of the season. He’s come in and done a really good job.

“It just makes me think that in Formula 2, we’re not going to see a spectacular champion anymore.

“We’re going to see this consistent, points-scoring every weekend, backing out of battles and collecting points because that’s how you win it with so many races.

“Fornaroli is the emblem of every Formula 2 champion we’re going to see in the future and probably have seen for the last couple of years as well.”

READ MORE: He is the driver McLaren labelled the ‘next Lewis Hamilton’, but dropped him before he reached F1

Why Leonardo Fornaroli could be so important to McLaren next season

Fornaroli has become the latest driver to win back-to-back championships in Formula 3 and Formula 2.

The majority of drivers who achieved that feat immediately find themselves in F1, such as George Russell, Charles Leclerc and Gabriel Bortoleto.

However, Fornaroli will need to be patient, just like Oscar Piastri was before McLaren signed him from Alpine.

The Italian has proven to be incredibly consistent, and if his feedback is as impressive as believed, then he could be crucial to the development war that’s set to play out in 2026.

Many teams believe that the rate of improvement next season is going to be rapid, with all 11 teams quickly learning from each other.

Having someone as detail-focused as Fornaroli in the simulator, constantly testing new parts and configurations, could end up being the secret weapon that McLaren need to win a third consecutive championship.