Oscar Piastri's situation at McLaren just got more complicated. Once a championship contender in 2025, the Australian driver has watched his stock tumble as he's fallen behind teammate Lando Norris. Fans have been vocal about their frustrations, even suggesting Piastri should get out of Woking altogether. Now it looks like McLaren might be taking those concerns seriously, because they've already got a plan B ready to go if he decides to walk.

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Enter Leonardo Fornaroli, McLaren's reserve driver who's been gaining serious momentum as a prospect. The F3 and F2 champion missed out on a full-time F1 grid seat for 2027 when Haas locked in Rafa Camara instead. But rather than letting Fornaroli's momentum stall, McLaren's made some clever moves. He's set to get valuable track time in free practice sessions at Mexico and Sao Paulo, and more importantly, he's already secured a racing seat for next year with McLaren's Hypercar programme in the 2027 FIA WEC.

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If Piastri does decide to part ways with McLaren, Fornaroli's sitting pretty as the top candidate for his F1 seat. The timing certainly raises eyebrows. Piastri's got a contract running until 2028, but there's been chatter about potential termination clauses as tensions between the driver and team have grown. Add to that the complicated relationship between Piastri's agent Mark Webber and McLaren, and you've got a recipe for a possible split.

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It's worth remembering that there were previous links suggesting Piastri could land at Red Bull, though Zak Brown has made it clear his dream is bringing Max Verstappen to McLaren instead. But banking on Verstappen feels risky when you've got a homegrown academy talent like Fornaroli ready to step up. Either way, McLaren's making it crystal clear they won't be left scrambling if Piastri decides the door's hit him on the way out.

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