Roman Staněk produced a strong F2 Qualifying performance at the 2025 Belgian GP with a strong third-place finish at Spa-Francorchamps. The Czech driver, who races for Invicta Racing, continued a run of consistent Qualifying form despite early struggles in Free Practice.
From Free Practice struggles to P3
While speaking to the media, including Pit Debrief, during the post-Qualifying press conference, Staněk acknowledged that the team had difficulty unlocking pace in the early running, but credited overnight improvements and personal adaptation behind the wheel for the turnaround.
“Yeah, after Free Practice where we struggled a little bit, we didn’t have really the pace to fight for the top three. We made some improvement. I tried also my best to improve the driving. With the tow, it was messy but in the end we put everything together and I think we can be happy with P3 today.”
The result marks a high point in Staněk’s season so far, particularly given the complexity of managing slipstream at Spa. The 6.9 km circuit offers long straights that reward drivers who can execute well-timed laps in the tow of others—a balance Staněk and his team achieved.
Qualifying consistency taking shape
Spa marked the fourth consecutive top-six qualifying result for the Invicta driver. For Staněk, the consistency comes after a period of adaptation to the car and team dynamics following his move from Trident.
“Well, I think I took a little bit for me to understand the car because in the last two years I was driving for a different team but kept working hard. I still think we can improve a lot but in the last three, four rounds the quality was always good and the key point in Formula 2 is to qualify always in the top six, top eight because anything can happen in the races.”
With the field often separated by tenths of a second, strong qualifying performance becomes crucial—not just for track position but also for strategic control over tyre management and race tempo. Staněk remains realistic about areas for development but sees opportunity ahead.
“We have to keep the momentum and now it’s time to improve also in the races because in Silverstone we did the wrong strategy, and I boxed for soft tyres which was not the way to go. There was a little bit of misunderstanding, so we lost a lot of points there but happy that I have a good chance again to score good points.”
Set-up adjustments prove crucial
Staněk credited both the engineering team and his own feedback for the gains made between Free Practice and Qualifying. While the details of setup changes were primarily handled by the team, his input proved valuable in narrowing in on the car’s sweet spot.
“Yeah, well it’s more up to the engineers what they do but also our feedback is very important, and I think we did a good job, from Free Practice to Quali because obviously we were not so quick but then in Quali we improved. But yeah, in Formula 2 in general it’s all about the details and the maximum performance you can get from driving and from the car. So yeah, happy with P3.”
Anticipating wet weather in Spa
Rain remains a constant variable at Spa, and with wet conditions expected on Sunday, drivers will need to adapt swiftly. Staněk expressed confidence in driving the car in the wet, while acknowledging the challenges of visibility in the midfield due to spray.
“Yeah, it’s always with the spray a bit more easier when you start in the front. So top three, top four. We have the luxury of seeing actually forward. But when you are in the mid-back, it’s very hard to see in places like this where you have long straights. You know, it can rain a lot.”
He commended the series’ officials for their measured approach to wet-weather decisions and showed enthusiasm for driving in the rain.
“I think the Race Director has been doing a good job with this when he decided to maybe postpone or to wait for better conditions.”
“But no, to drive a Formula 2 car on the wet is great. It’s fun, as Alex [Dunne] said. You have to take care of the tyres depending on how much water there is on the track. And yeah, looking forward, you know, in Spa, you never know. Now we see rain, might be snowing or might be sunny. So yeah, I guess we just have to wait.”
Adapting across teams: The Invicta impact
Having switched from Trident to Invicta for the 2024 season, Staněk reflected on the key differences in preparation and confidence-building—especially with regard to one-lap pace.
“Yeah, with Trident, obviously, the first year and also last year, it was quite difficult. I really don’t want to blame the team, but we were almost always out of the window already in Free Practice.”
That early deficit proved costly in his previous campaigns, where a poor baseline setup compromised the ability to find rhythm and performance by Qualifying.
“And it’s very important to come on the race and to have already a good base of the car. And in general, in FIA Formula 3, when I was in [2022], I was being quite successful in the Qualifying.”
Confidence and clear structure at Invicta have allowed Staněk to demonstrate one of his core strengths—delivering under pressure.
“I think that’s one of my strongest points, to put a good lap together, especially with the Pirelli tyres where you really need to perform just for one lap and Invicta gave me the confidence to do it.”
The beginning of the season featured a period of adaptation, but recent events have underlined his growing momentum.
“First part of the season, as I said, I was learning a bit about the car because obviously it’s a bit different and also some unlucky moments. But yeah, now last four Qualifyings were good and I hope next round I can fight for pole.”
Slipstream strategy and Qualifying tactics
One of the more subtle factors at Spa involved slipstream tactics during Qualifying. Multiple drivers opted to pass through the pit lane on their outlaps in order to rejoin in traffic and benefit from a tow. Staněk followed suit after observing the trend on track.
“For me, it was the same. Actually, the team didn’t tell me anything, but I saw the cars in front of me were going. And then if I was staying out, maybe I didn’t have anyone in front of me and I wouldn’t have the slipstream on a track like this.”
He elaborated on the balance required in the tow: enough gap to preserve cornering performance while still gaining time down the straights.
“As I said, it’s very important to have a tow in order to gain some speed. You don’t want to be very close because then you lose the performance in the high-speed corners. But it’s a very important part of the Qualifying here.”
