McLaren Locks in Heavy Hitters O’Ward and Fornaroli for 2026 Reserve Roles
The grid for 2026 is taking shape, and the team in papaya orange isn’t taking any chances. While the focus is usually on who is sitting in the cockpit when the lights go out on Sunday, the real chess game is played by the drivers waiting in the wings. McLaren has officially pulled back the curtain on their insurance policy for the upcoming campaign.
It has officially confirmed a two-man reserve roster that brings a serious mix of youthful fire and veteran grit.Leonardo Fornaroli and Pato O’Ward are the names you need to know. They are the ones standing by, helmet in hand, ready to jump into the machinery if Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri can’t suit up.
Fornaroli Steps Up to the Big League
For Leonardo Fornaroli, this is the moment the dream starts becoming tangible. The Italian racer didn’t just stumble into this role. He earned it the hard way. Fresh off a Formula 2 championship title, Fornaroli put pen to paper with McLaren immediately after securing the crown in Qatar.
Initially, the plan looked like a standard testing and development gig, plenty of simulator work, maybe a few TPC or Testing of Previous Cars outings to get his neck muscles used to the G-force. But the Woking squad clearly likes what they see. They’ve expanded his duties significantly for 2026. He’s no longer just a development driver.
He is an official F1 reserve. That means he travels, he preps, and he waits for that one chaotic moment where the door opens.”I’m thrilled to be stepping into an extended role with the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team,” Fornaroli said, and you can practically hear the relief and excitement in the statement. “It’s an exciting next step in my journey… A big thank you to Zak, Andrea, and Alessandro for this opportunity.”
O’Ward Keeps His Foot in the Door
Then there’s Pato O’Ward. If you follow racing in the States, you know Pato is a force of nature. He’s sticking with the Arrow McLaren squad in IndyCar, chasing glory at the Brickyard and beyond, but he’s not letting go of the F1 dream just yet. O’Ward has served as a reserve for the past two seasons, and keeping him on the books is a smart play by Zak Brown.
Pato knows the systems, he knows the engineers, and he has raw speed that terrifies competitors. He’s the perfect plug-and-play option if things go sideways.”I’ve learned an incredible amount testing and driving F1 cars over the past few years,” O’Ward noted. “So I am looking forward to this continued growth and development.”
The Strategic Importance of the Reserve Driver
To the casual fan, the reserve driver might seem like a benchwarmer. But in modern Formula 1, this role is critical. We saw exactly why during the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. When Kevin Magnussen racked up too many penalty points and got slapped with a race ban, Haas didn’t panic. They called up Oliver Bearman.
That is the scenario McLaren is prepping for. Whether it’s an unexpected illness, an injury, training in the off-season, or a disciplinary ban, the team needs someone who can jump into one of the fastest cars on Earth and score points immediately. There is no time for a learning curve when the Constructors’ Championship is on the line.
By splitting the duties between a fresh F2 champion and a seasoned IndyCar winner, McLaren covers all their bases. They have the youthful adaptability of Fornaroli and the aggressive, proven hands of O’Ward.
A Shakeup in the Development Pipeline
The reserve announcement comes alongside a broader refresh of the McLaren Driver Development program. It’s a cutthroat business, and not everyone makes the cut. The team confirmed they have parted ways with Brando Badoer, Martinius Stenshorne, and Ugo Ugochukwu.
However, the pipeline remains stocked. New signings include Richard Verschoor, a familiar face in the F2 paddock, and Ella Hakkinen, daughter of the Flying Finn himself, Mika Hakkinen. It’s a blend of legacy and new blood, overseen by Alessandro Alunni Bravi, ensuring that the talent well in Woking doesn’t run dry anytime soon.
What This Means for 2026
This move with Fornaroli and O’Ward signals stability. Heading into 2026, teams are dealing with enough variables regarding car performance and regulations. The last thing a Team Principal wants to worry about is “who drives the car if our star gets sick?”By locking in Fornaroli and O’Ward, McLaren has removed a variable.
They have secured a mix of consistency and potential. It tells the paddock that while their eyes are fixed on the title fight with Norris and Piastri, they aren’t ignoring the contingencies. In a sport defined by milliseconds, that kind of preparation is usually the difference between a crisis and a minor inconvenience.
