With Round 6 of the 2025 F2 Championship now concluded, Invicta Racing’s Leonardo Fornaroli has impressed many thus far. Having scored in every round until the Barcelona Feature Race, the 20 year-old has made a name for himself. The Italian made his single-seater debut in 2020, where he participated in the Italian F4 Championship. Walking away from the season with two podiums, the Italian finished 9th in the championship with 108 points to his name.
Soon enough, Fornaroli climbed his way through the ranks and landed in his rookie F3 season in 2023 with Trident—finishing 11th with two podium finishes and 69 points. However, it would only be in his second season in F3 and with Trident where the Italian managed to execute a consistent season which secured him his first single-seater championship. Fornaroli managed to beat fellow F2 rookie PREMA Racing’s Gabriele Minì during a nail-biting finale by 23 points. A campaign that proved consistency and maximising points-scoring opportunities was key to a championship pursuit.
F2 Journey started in 2024
Shortly after wrapping up his F3 championship, it was not long before Fornaroli got his first taste of a F2 car. At the season finale in Abu Dhabi, the Italian joined Rodin Motorsport in place of Zane Maloney who left had left for his new adventure in Formula E. In his first F2 weekend, Fornaroli would finish P10 and P13 in the Sprint and Feature Race respectively. A weekend which served a good purpose for Fornaroli to acclimatise with a new car. Subsequently, the Italian would clock more milage in his new machinery during post-season testing with Invicta Racing in Abu Dhabi.
Nicknamed the “consistency king”, Fornaroli has consistently found himself maximising his points-scoring opportunities, regardless of his starting position. The steady performance thus far has proved crucial as he has racked up 66 points to his name—mirroring similar results that allowed him to secure his F3 championship without a single win. As Fornaroli currently sits P6 in the Driver Standings, we take a look at his journey so far.
Making a statement with impressive start in Melbourne
The season opener in Melbourne was an unusual start to the season. As torrential down pour hovered over Albert Park, the first Feature Race of the season was cancelled. Hence this meant the only points-scoring opportunity for drivers in Melbourne was during the Sprint Race. And in hindsight, this worked in favour of the 20 year-old to mark the start of his campaign.
During Qualifying, Fornaroli had a decent session. The chequered flag flew as the Italian managed to qualify P10, putting him on pole for the Sprint Race. Despite losing out to AIX Racing’s Joshua Dürksen off the line, Fornaroli kept cool and maintained his position in P2 to bring home his first podium in the series and of the year. Fornaroli’s performance in Melbourne provided a strong indication of his potential and the results he could go on to achieve this year.
Starting his championship off on the right foot, Fornaroli’s podium-finish during the first round made strong impression that launched him into a candidate as a potential contender for the championship.
Pace and potential shown in Bahrain and sub-par performance in Jeddah
Early indications of speed and potential did not stop there for Fornaroli. In just his second weekend of the year, the Italian managed to secure his first pole position in F2. During the Sprint Race, Fornaroli would finish the race in P8, securing his place in the last points-paying position. Despite starting on pole for the Feature Race, the 20 year-old would fail to secure his maiden win in F2 but still walked away from the weekend adding another piece of silverware to his collection in 2025. Having finished P3, Fornaroli was able to secure more valuable points to his championship tally. Compared to seasoned veterans, tackling the concept of tyre management was his biggest weakness. Fornaroli acknowledged that there was still lots of learning to do.
Reaching the third round in Jeddah, the circuit was a big unknown for Fornaroli and his fellow rookies. However, once again, the 20 year-old’s clean lap during Qualifying slotted him into P3. The Italian reflected on his performance and was pleased with what he achieved. With yet another impressive Qualifying, this put Fornaroli in a position to maximise his opportunity to score more points. During both races, Fornaroli seemingly appeared to struggle. But still, the Italian would go on to finish P7 in the Sprint Race and P4 in the Feature Race, adding yet more valuable points to his championship tally.
Navigating the ups and downs of the European triple-header
The start of the European triple-header marked a return to familiar territory for many. By the fourth round in Imola, Fornaroli was one of few drivers left to have scored in every race thus far. On home-soil, the Italian would go on to qualify P4 and finish P7 and P4 in the Sprint and Feature Race respectively.
In Monaco, Fornaroli qualified P3 once again—his third Top 3 finish in Qualifying in five rounds. Finishing P7 again during the Sprint Race, the 20 year-old was one of few lucky drivers to escape the Turn 1 incident between ART GP’s Victor Martins and Rodin’s Alex Duane unscathed. However, a P2 finish—his third podium of the season—during the Feature Race was not the results he had hoped for. Following a late red flag into the race, Fornaroli appeared visibly frustrated as it denied him a chance at claiming his first win in F2.
After a run of consecutive point-finishes, it would all come to an end in Barcelona for Fornaroli. For the first time since Melbourne, the Italian qualified outside the Top 5. Undoubtedly, many could claim and say it was his worse weekend thus far. Once again, Fornaroli had started on pole for the Sprint Race but a slow launch off the line would hinder his run down to Turn 1. As the race unfolded, Fornaroli fell down the field to finish P7. With eyes set on redemption during the Feature Race, the 20 year-old would end the triple-header with a 10 second stop-and-go penalty and a retirement.
Up next, a double-header
Since Barcelona, the F2 grid has had several weeks to reset before we are back racing again. After a disastrous end to the sixth round in Barcelona, Fornaroli would hope to come back stronger in Austria in a weeks time. With a double-header ahead, 8 rounds remain with lots of points still up for grabs for Fornaroli in his championship pursuits.
