McLaren signs F2 champion Fornaroli to its Driver Development Programme

On the again of the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, McLaren introduced three new signings to their Driver Growth Programme, together with newly-crowned F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli.

McLaren have introduced that Leonardo Fornaroli, Richard Verschoor, and Christian Costoya have joined their Driver Growth Programme.

On the again of an distinctive season, Fornaroli will be part of the McLaren junior driver programme, having achieved outstanding success this season with 4 victories and 5 podiums throughout 2025 FIA Method 2 Function and Dash races.

These performances noticed the Italian change into solely the third driver to realize back-to-back Championship wins in FIA Method 2 and FIA Method 3, emulating present McLaren Method 1 driver, Oscar Piastri and McLaren Driver Growth Programme graduate, Gabriel Bortoleto.

The 20-year-old from Piacenza will tackle a check and improvement function inside the the Woking-based group’s construction.

Commenting on his new function for 2026, Fornaroli mentioned: “I’m extremely proud to be becoming a member of the McLaren Driver Growth Programme after one other profitable yr on monitor.

“Successful each the FIA Method 3 and Method 2 titles has been an essential step in my journey, and I’m motivated to take the following step in my improvement by the programme as I work towards my final purpose of racing on the highest stage.

“I’m very grateful to McLaren for this chance, and to everybody who has supported me all through my profession to this point. I can’t wait to get began and work carefully with the remainder of the group.”

Verschoor ended the present FIA Method 2 season in third behind Fornaroli and Jak Crawford. The 24-year-old from Utrecht joins the McLaren Driver Growth Programme with a ten-year expertise in single-seater competitors, which features a victory on the Macau Grand Prix – FIA F3 World Cup win in 2019.

“I’m delighted to be a part of the McLaren Driver Growth Programme. It’s a particular second, and I’m grateful for McLaren’s assist in permitting me to proceed my improvement inside the programme.

“I’m excited to get going and work exhausting with the group within the coming months,” commented Verschoor.

Christian Costoya turns into a part of the McLaren household with a number of karting championship and trophy victories to his identify, together with the 2025 FIA European Karting Championship.

The 15-year-old driver from Silleda has additionally been topped vice-champion in each the 2023 FIA Karting World Championship and 2024 FIA Karting European Championship.

As an preliminary step in his improvement pathway, Costoya will make his single-seater debut within the upcoming 2026 F4 Center East Championship at Yas Marina Circuit on 16-18 January.

The McLaren Driver Growth Programme now at present contains Pato O’Ward, Dries van Langendonck, Ella Lloyd, Matteo De Palo, Ella Stevens, Ella Häkkinen, Leonardo Fornaroli, Richard Verschoor and Christian Costoya.

On behalf of the Woking-based outfit, Alessandro Alunni Bravi, who left the Sauber outfit to change into McLaren’s Chief Enterprise Affairs Officer, commented: “McLaren Racing are delighted to welcome two of Method 2’s present main drivers on this yr’s Champion Leonardo Fornaroli and former Championship contender and fellow front-runner Richard Verschoor, in addition to confirmed karting champion, Christian Costoya, to the McLaren Racing Driver Growth Programme.

“All three proficient drivers have proven nice race craft with a number of wins this season, alongside a variety of spectacular performances of their respective championships. By welcoming Christian to the programme alongside long-standing member, Dries Van Langendonck, we now even have two of probably the most promising drivers popping out of karting.

“It’s a key precedence that we proceed to develop our expertise pipeline to supply choices for all of our increasing racing groups. We sit up for working carefully with all our drivers in 2026 as they proceed their particular person improvement at varied levels of their profession with the assist of the programme by a variety of testing and development alternatives throughout all of our racing sequence.”

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