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Leonardo Fornaroli won the Formula 2 championship as a rookie last year, then signed with McLaren, and still does not have a Formula 1 seat. His former team manager James Robinson thinks that situation needs to change, and he is making the case publicly.
The Company He Keeps
Robinson's argument rests on a comparison that is hard to dismiss. The list of drivers who have won a Formula 2 race in their debut season includes Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Gabriel Bortoleto and Fornaroli. Speaking to PlanetF1, Robinson made the implication clear. "Who are the drivers who won a Formula 2 race as a rookie? They are Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Gabriel Bortoleto and Leonardo Fornaroli.
They are all exceptional drivers, and Leo is the exception because he is currently not in Formula 1."
The Piastri precedent is the one Robinson returns to most. Piastri also spent a year waiting after winning the F2 title before Alpine and then McLaren found him a seat. "But Oscar also had to sit on the sidelines for a year after winning the F2 championship, and I would be very disappointed if Leo does not have a Formula 1 seat next year."
What Made Him Different
Robinson described a specific technical quality that set Fornaroli apart from every other driver he has worked with. "He qualified in the top 10 at every race last year, and that was really the secret of his success. Even at circuits where he had a harder time, like Silverstone, he still managed to take pole position from the reversed grid, win the sprint race, start from pole in the feature race and then gain places and score a solid points finish."
The consistency Robinson is describing is not just about raw speed. It is about not losing ground even when the circumstances are difficult. "And that is the consistency you need to win the championship. But he did not just win the championship, he won it a round early, with two races still to go. I do not see what further evidence is needed to show that Leonardo Fornaroli is a genuinely hidden talent. Hidden talent is the right phrase, because he was not connected to any Formula 1 team at all until the end of last year."
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