The young Italian pulled off something remarkable: clinching back-to-back titles in Formula 3 and Formula 2 at the first attempt — a feat previously achieved only by Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto, both now regarded as two of the strongest drivers on the current grid.

Fornaroli, however, like many freshly crowned F2 champions, hasn’t managed to land a Formula 1 seat for next season — a situation made trickier by the fact he isn’t tied to any team’s junior academy.

Even so, 2026 still offers him a prime chance to build invaluable experience with what is currently the strongest outfit on the grid, a team coming off back-to-back constructors’ titles and firmly in the hunt for the drivers’ crown with both of its drivers.

After Kimi Antonelli — who brought Italy back to Formula 1 this year after a four-season absence — Fornaroli could well become the country’s next rising sensation, having already shown he belongs at the top table.

Born in Emilia-Romagna on 3 December 2004, Fornaroli began his career in karting at around ten years old, winning the Mini Academy class of the Championkart championship in 2016. From there, he steadily climbed the ranks, rounding out his final year in karting as runner-up in the 2019 WSK Euro Series — effectively marking himself out as one of the top young talents in the category.

Fornaroli’s single-seater debut came in 2020, when he signed with Iron Lynx for the Italian Formula 4 championship. His rookie campaign ended with a respectable ninth place overall, two podiums, but no wins or poles. Late that year he also entered three rounds of the ADAC Formula 4 series, though he failed to score.

In 2021, still with Iron Lynx and still in Italian F4, he took a clear step forward: fifth in the standings, this time with a win, two pole positions and seven podiums.

His 2022 season was split between two programmes: the Formula Regional Asian Championship with Hitech — nine races, finishing 17th — and the Formula Regional European Championship, where he ended up eighth overall.

Even 2023 wasn’t a standout year on paper. Fornaroli made his Formula 3 debut with Trident, finishing only 18th despite taking a pole and three podiums.

The real turning point came the following season. Despite not winning a single race, the Italian finally claimed the first title of his career — snatching the championship with a decisive, last-corner, last-lap overtake that sealed the crown and edged out fellow Italian Gabriele Minì.

The rest, as they say, is history. Moving up to Formula 2 with Invicta, Fornaroli delivered the strongest season of his career, sealing the title with an impressive haul of four wins, two poles and nine podium finishes.