McLaren is bringing a major upgrade package to the Hungaroring, but Oscar Piastri will watch its first track test from the garage. The Australian will give up his MCL40 to reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli during FP1 as the team completes one of its required rookie sessions.
The timing creates a real problem. McLaren will introduce a redesigned floor and further aerodynamic parts as it tries to close a development gap to Mercedes and Ferrari. It will also test an experimental rear wing that changes position when Straight Mode is active. That wing is scheduled to run only in FP1 before McLaren removes it for the rest of the weekend.
Piastri will therefore miss the session that establishes the earliest balance readings, airflow data and driver feedback. He will return for FP2 with plenty of information, but none of it will come from his own direct experience inside the upgraded car.
Piastri Pays the Price for McLaren’s Timing
A rookie substitution is normally easiest to absorb when a team knows its car and arrives with a settled package. Hungary is different. McLaren has targeted this event as a major step in the MCL40 development programme after admitting that its aerodynamic work had fallen around two to three months behind its rivals.
FP1 will set the technical baseline. Engineers need to see how the new floor behaves through the Hungaroring’s long corners. They must also establish whether the car maintains a stable balance across different speeds and whether the updated parts match the numbers produced in simulation.
Piastri will not be able to describe those changes through the steering wheel. Instead, he must study Fornaroli’s comments, compare them with Lando Norris’s telemetry and then test those conclusions himself in FP2.
That delay matters because Friday running fills quickly. Teams must complete qualifying laps, high-fuel runs, tyre work and setup changes inside two sessions. Any red flag, mechanical fault or weather interruption would leave Piastri with even less time to understand the package before qualifying preparation begins.
He arrives in Budapest after finishing fifth at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, which took place one week before Hungary on the revised calendar. McLaren needs the upgrade to deliver quickly. Piastri cannot afford to spend the entire afternoon searching for a comfortable baseline.
Fornaroli Carries McLaren’s Most Important Data Run
McLaren is not looking for heroics from Fornaroli. A spectacular lap means little if he damages the car or fails to complete the team’s technical programme.
His instructions will be clear. Follow the run plan, keep the MCL40 on track and give the engineers precise feedback on how the new floor and rear wing affect the car.
The 21-year-old is not entering the session without preparation. He drove Norris’s MCL40 in Barcelona, completed 22 laps and worked through aerodynamic rake runs before moving to soft-tyre laps. That outing introduced him to the cockpit, steering-wheel displays, radio language and McLaren’s feedback process. Fornaroli said he was keen to build on that experience when he returned to the car at the Hungaroring.
Hungary still raises the pressure. A damaged floor or interrupted programme could erase the clean comparison McLaren needs. A disciplined session, however, would give the team useful answers and strengthen Fornaroli’s reputation inside the paddock.
McLaren has been impressed with the reigning Formula 2 champion and is exploring opportunities for him elsewhere on the grid. Recent paddock talk has linked him with a possible Haas seat alongside Oliver Bearman, particularly if the team changes its driver line-up.
Friday is not a formal audition. Every clean Formula 1 session still gives rival team principals another reason to study his name.
Piastri Faces a Compressed FP2 Programme
Once Piastri returns to the car, his work will begin with correlation. He must check whether the balance described by Fornaroli matches what he feels, then decide with his engineers which setup changes deserve attention.
The likely priority will be a short qualifying simulation followed by high-fuel work. Norris’s data should give McLaren a direct reference, but Piastri still needs to establish his own braking points, energy-management settings and preferred corner-entry balance.
The process cannot become rushed. Hungary rewards rhythm, particularly through the flowing middle sector. A driver who spends too long correcting an unstable setup can lose valuable tyre understanding and compromise both qualifying and race preparation.
Piastri will likely spend the opening part of FP2 learning how the revised package behaves. Only then can he turn his attention to the runs that will shape his qualifying and race setup.
McLaren will have plenty of numbers after FP1. Piastri’s challenge is turning those numbers into confidence and speed before Friday ends.
His situation also reflects a wider problem across the paddock. Every team must surrender valuable practice mileage to satisfy the rookie regulations, and the cost becomes greater when those sessions coincide with major technical updates.
Rookies Across the Grid
Piastri is not the only regular driver stepping aside. Alpine reserve Paul Aron will replace Franco Colapinto after completing earlier FP1 appearances on loan with Audi. Haas will put Toyota driver Ryo Hirakawa in Bearman’s car, while Mercedes will give Frederik Vesti another practice outing.
The 2026 rule requires every team to use a driver who has started no more than two championship races during two competitions for each car entered. That creates four rookie appearances for every team across the season.
Those sessions give teams a rare chance to test whether young drivers can translate simulator preparation into useful track feedback. Engineers closely watch their communication, tyre management, procedural discipline and ability to follow detailed run plans under pressure.
Teams prefer completing rookie sessions at conventional circuits, where their regular drivers still have two further practice periods to recover lost mileage. Even then, the calculation becomes more difficult when new floors, wings or suspension parts need immediate evaluation.
For Piastri, the wider rookie programme remains secondary. Fornaroli must give McLaren clean data. Piastri must turn it into pace before a mandatory Friday absence begins to shape the rest of his Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.
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FAQs
Why is Oscar Piastri missing Hungary FP1?
Piastri is giving his MCL40 to McLaren reserve Leonardo Fornaroli so the team can complete one of its mandatory rookie sessions.
Who will replace Oscar Piastri in Hungary FP1?
Leonardo Fornaroli will drive Piastri’s MCL40 and collect the first track data from McLaren’s Hungary upgrade package.
What upgrades will McLaren test at the Hungaroring?
McLaren plans to evaluate a redesigned floor, other aerodynamic parts and an experimental rear wing during Friday practice.
How many rookie appearances must each F1 team complete in 2026?
Each team must use an eligible rookie in two competitions for each car, creating four appearances across the season.
Why could missing FP1 hurt Piastri’s weekend?
Missing FP1 leaves Piastri less time to understand the upgrades, complete qualifying runs and prepare the car for the race.
