McLaren has signed new Components 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli to a check and improvement position, and has additionally added F2 race-winner Richard Verschoor to its younger driver program.
Fornaroli adopted within the footsteps of Gabriel Bortoleto, Oscar Piastri, George Russell and Charles Leclerc in successful the Components 3 (or GP3) and Components 2 championships back-to-back as a rookie, securing his newest title in Qatar on Sunday. The Italian was not affiliated with a Components 1 group beforehand, however RACER understands McLaren fought of curiosity from plenty of rivals to safe his signature.
“I’m extremely proud to be becoming a member of the McLaren Driver Improvement Program after one other profitable 12 months on observe,” stated Fornaroli. “Profitable each the FIA Components 3 and Components 2 titles has been an essential step in my journey, and I’m motivated to take the following step in my improvement by way of this system as I work towards my final purpose of racing on the highest degree.
“I’m very grateful to McLaren for this chance, and to everybody who has supported me all through my profession thus far. I can’t wait to get began and work intently with the remainder of the group.”
Richard Verschoor has additionally been snapped up by McLaren. Dom Gibbons/Getty Photos)
“I’m delighted to be a part of the McLaren Driver Improvement Program,” Verschoor stated. “It’s a particular second, and I’m grateful for McLaren’s help in permitting me to proceed my improvement inside the program. I’m excited to get going and work onerous with the group within the coming months.”
Verschoor has been in F2 for the previous 5 seasons however now joins an F1 program for the second time, having been at Purple Bull in 2017. Alongside each F2 graduates, Spanish karting expertise Christian Costoya has additionally been signed forward of his transfer as much as single-seaters.
“McLaren Racing are delighted to welcome two of Components 2’s present main drivers on this 12 months’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 Improvement Program,” stated McLaren’s chief enterprise affairs officer Alessandro Alunni Bravi.
“All three gifted drivers have proven nice race craft with a number of wins this season, alongside plenty of spectacular performances of their respective championships. By welcoming Christian to this system 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 look ahead to working intently with all our drivers in 2026 as they proceed their particular person improvement at numerous phases of their profession with the help of this system by way of a variety of testing and development alternatives throughout all of our racing sequence.”
