Leonardo Fornaroli is about to get his most significant taste of Formula 1 machinery yet. The reigning Formula 2 champion is set to climb into a Haas F1 car at Jerez this week for a two-day Testing of Previous Cars evaluation, a move that underlines just how seriously the American outfit is considering the 21-year-old Italian as part of its long-term driver strategy.
A Major Step for a Rising Star
Fornaroli arrives at the Circuito de Jerez with serious credentials. His 2024 Formula 2 title was not simply a result of consistent finishing, it marked him out as a genuine frontrunner with the racecraft and technical feedback skills that F1 teams covet in their junior prospects. Winning a feeder series championship is rarely enough to guarantee a path to the grid, but it opens doors, and Haas appears to be opening one now.
The two-day test, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, falls under the FIA’s Testing of Previous Cars regulations. TPC sessions allow teams to run cars that are at least two years old with drivers who would otherwise be restricted from seat time during the competitive season. It is a valuable and fully legal route for teams to assess talent without triggering any regulatory consequences, and Haas has used the format before when building out its driver evaluation pipeline.
What TPC Testing Really Means
For a driver of Fornaroli’s profile, a TPC run is more than a formality. It is a structured audition. The programme gives both parties exactly what they need: Haas gets to understand how the driver adapts to a full F1 car’s aerodynamic load, power delivery, and data requirements across a meaningful run programme spanning two days, while Fornaroli gets the kind of mileage in a Grand Prix car that is impossible to replicate in any simulator.
Teams invest carefully in these sessions. Engineering resources, tyres, and logistics all carry cost, which means Haas is not simply offering a goodwill run to a promising name. There is clear intent behind placing Fornaroli in the car at Jerez, one of Europe’s most established test circuits with a long history of Formula 1 preparation work.
The 2027 Target and What Haas Needs
Fornaroli’s ambitions are no secret. The Italian has made clear that a Formula 1 seat for the 2027 season is his primary objective, and aligning himself with a team during this developmental window is a smart piece of career management. The 2027 regulations represent a full reset for the sport, with new technical rules set to level the competitive order. For a team like Haas, that context matters enormously.
Haas has spent recent seasons restructuring its approach both commercially and in terms of driver development. The team is no longer simply a customer outfit content to occupy the lower midfield. With a clearer vision heading into the regulation change, identifying and nurturing the right drivers now becomes a strategic priority. Fornaroli, young, hungry, and already a proven champion at feeder level, fits the profile of a driver a team might want to develop and then deploy when the moment is right.
This test also follows a previous F1 session appearance for Fornaroli, suggesting this is not a first look but part of a continuing evaluation. The progression of involvement is telling. Teams do not typically deepen their commitment to a driver unless the early data is encouraging.
Historical Precedent at Haas
Haas has form when it comes to using TPC sessions to build toward driver decisions rather than simply fill testing calendars. The team has previously used similar programmes to build relationships with drivers before committing to more formal arrangements. In a paddock where seat decisions are often made many months ahead of public announcements, the testing pipeline is where races are really won and lost.
Fornaroli joins a select group of young drivers who have moved through the TPC route as a stepping stone toward F1. Some have gone on to secure race seats; others have used the experience to strengthen their hand in negotiations with other teams. Either way, the mileage and the association carry weight.
Looking Ahead
Wednesday and Thursday at Jerez represent two days that could quietly shape the next chapter of Formula 1’s driver landscape. Leonardo Fornaroli knows what is at stake, and so does Haas. If the test goes well, the conversation around who lines up on the 2027 grid could become considerably more interesting. For a champion who has already proved himself in the feeder series, this is the moment to prove he belongs at the highest level.