Why does Italy's greatest talent not have a Formula 1 contract?

14:08, 30 Jul

byLudo van Denderen

It's a question this website has asked him more than once: Why don't you have a contract with a Formula 1 team, at least in its training program?

The response from Leonardo Fornaroli is almost always the same. Also in Spa last weekend, where the Italian won the sprint race in Formula 2, he said: "Well, to enter an academy is a very difficult process. It's not that you have results and automatically you enter. It's very long and very difficult. But we are going forward, of course, and we are working on it with my management.”

Fornaroli more successful than Lindblad

In 2024, Fornaroli managed to claim the Formula 3 championship in his name, by beating, among others, the great Red Bull talent Arvid Lindblad and McLaren top talent Alex Dunne. In the current season, the rookie is leading the Formula 2 championship, again ahead of Dunne and Lindblad, but also Jak Crawford (Aston Martin) and Luke Browning (Williams).

All men who have a contract with an F1 team, people who do get the opportunity. Without selling these drivers short, it is remarkable that they do and the reigning champion in F3 and now the leader in F2 does not (yet) have that.

Why they do and Fornaroli does not, is probably due to the fact that the Italian is a late bloomer. In the early years of his career, he did not stand head and shoulders above the rest, as for example Lindblad did.

F1 teams scout for their talents at increasingly young ages, so as a driver, you need to be on the scene early.

Interest in Fornaroli is starting to pick up

That said, Fornaroli has no reason to despair, because interest in his services is now present. His management is indeed in discussions in Formula 1, but it is still too early to predict which direction it will go.

Fornaroli is aiming for a serious role in an F1 team; perhaps as a third driver or test driver. The title in F2 would undoubtedly help him and open doors. Based on his performances over the last year and a half, this would be nothing less than logical and deserved.