Fornaroli will take over Piastri’s car for Friday’s 60-minute session at the Hungaroring as McLaren fulfils another of its mandatory rookie practice appearances.
The reigning Formula 2 champion made his official grand prix weekend debut in Barcelona last month, replacing Lando Norris.
He finished the session fifth after previously completing several private tests in older McLaren machinery as part of the TPC (Testing of Previous Cars) rules.
His second outing comes during an important weekend for McLaren, which will introduce its latest major upgrade package as it attempts to close the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari before the summer break.
The development package is based around a new floor and several additional aerodynamic components, which will be evaluated across the three practice sessions in Budapest.
McLaren will also use FP1 to trial a further developed version of its experimental rear wing, having abandoned plans to run the concept during opening practice at the Austrian Grand Prix because of problems encountered in the garage.
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The design is McLaren’s version of the ‘Macarena’ rear wing already used by Ferrari and Red Bull this season, with the mainplane flipping upside down when Straight Mode is activated.
It will be removed after Friday’s opening session and is not currently scheduled to be raced in Hungary or at the Dutch Grand Prix immediately after the summer shutdown.
McLaren has instead indicated the concept could be introduced later in the season if the Hungaroring test produces encouraging results.
The new floor and accompanying aerodynamic parts represent the next stage of the MCL40’s development following an earlier overhaul introduced across the Miami and Canadian Grand Prix weekends.
McLaren is targeting improvements under braking and through corner entry at high-downforce circuits such as the Hungaroring and Zandvoort, although the team has acknowledged neither venue is expected to provide ideal conditions for its car.
The package arrives after Piastri and Norris finished fifth and seventh respectively in Belgium, where McLaren displayed encouraging pace but failed to convert it into the points haul it believed was available.
Senior director of racing Randy Singh said the team would use practice to understand the new components before determining how much performance they could provide during the second half of the season.
“We have an upgrade package arriving this weekend too, and in such a competitive season every development is important so it will be great to gather further understanding on how those parts perform throughout free practice,” he said.
“Our aim is to maximise everything we have available, carry positive momentum into the shutdown and put ourselves in the strongest possible position for the second half of the championship.”
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Piastri’s absence will leave Norris as McLaren’s only regular driver during the first session, placing additional importance on the feedback Fornaroli can provide while the team evaluates its new parts.
The 21-year-old has spent recent weeks preparing for the appearance through McLaren’s simulator and performance facilities in Woking.
“I’m looking forward to driving the MCL40 in this weekend’s Free Practice 1 at the Hungaroring,” the Italian said.
“It’s going to be another fantastic opportunity to continue my development with the car and build on the valuable work we completed together with the team in Barcelona.
“Every session is a chance to learn more, gain confidence and contribute to the team’s programme for the weekend.
“I’ve been very busy in Woking over the past few weeks preparing this session in both the simulator and at the Optimum Nutrition McLaren Performance Hub, to make sure I’ll be as ready as I can.
“I can’t wait to get out on track on Friday, have fun and make the most of every lap to help the team.”
Piastri will not be the only regular driver missing FP1, with Haas handing Oliver Bearman’s car to Ryo Hirakawa.
Meanwhile, Alpine reserve Paul Aron will replace Franco Colapinto for the opening session, marking his third FP1 appearance of the season after previously driving for Audi on loan in Barcelona and Austria.
Formula 1 teams are required to field rookie drivers in four FP1 sessions during the season, with two appearances allocated to each of their cars.
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