Leonardo Fornaroli’s 2025 FIA Formula 2 (F2) campaign will be remembered as a season built not only on speed, but on control, composure and championship intelligence.
Stepping up as the reigning Formula 3 champion, Fornaroli arrived in F2 with momentum, but few expected him to conquer and win the championship in his rookie season. Yet, by the end of the year, the Italian secured the championship with one round to spare, clinching the 2025 Drivers’ Championship and confirming himself as one of the most complete young drivers in the junior ranks.
A rookie with authority
Driving for Invicta Racing, Fornaroli amassed 211 points across the season, securing four race victories and nine podium finishes on his way to the title. But more impressive than the headline numbers was the pattern behind them.
Fornaroli scored points in 23 of 25 races, a number that underlines the foundations of his championship year. In a category as unpredictable as Formula 2, where safety cars, tyre degradation and reverse-grid sprint races often change the order, that level of consistency is rare.
While some other rivals may have produced more dramatic individual performances, Fornaroli’s ability to repeatedly finish inside the top positions allowed him to build and protect his championship, a lead that others often struggled to match.
Qualifying speed meets race craft
A key step in Fornaroli’s development throughout his 2025 F2 year was his qualifying performance. He had two pole positions through the year in Bahrain and Austria, proving he had the raw proving he had the raw one-lap pace to match his race-day composure.
Strong grid positions were crucial in Feature Races, where strategic discipline and tyre management often determine results. Fornaroli demonstrated maturity beyond his years in managing Pirelli degradation, timing overtakes, and defending when necessary.
His sprint race victory at Monza was particularly symbolic, with a home win that showcased both aggression and control under pressure. It was the kind of statement performance that silenced any lingering doubts about whether he could convert consistency into outright wins.
The turning point
The middle phase of the season proved decisive. After a string of podiums and steady points, Fornaroli began converting opportunities into victories, taking control of the championship fight around the European summer stretch.
By the time the paddock arrived in Qatar, the Italian had built a cushion that allowed him to focus on managing the title rather than chasing risky wins. A composed second-place finish in the Lusail Feature Race was enough to mathematically secure the championship with a round still remaining, a rare feat in modern Formula 2.
Strength in intelligence
Fornaroli’s F2 2025 campaign was not built on domination in the traditional sense. He did not win every other weekend, nor did he overwhelm the field with pure pace.
Instead, he mastered something arguably more difficult: maximisation.
When the car was capable of winning, he won. And when it wasn’t, he salvaged strong points. When rivals faltered, he capitalised. And crucially, he avoided the kind of zero-point weekends that derail championship ambitions.
In a field featuring drivers like Jak Crawford, Richard Verschoor, Luke Browning and Alex Dunne, that consistency created separation. By season’s end, the gap in the standings reflected not just speed, but execution.
From F3 Champion to F2 Champion
What makes the achievement even more significant is the context. Fornaroli entered 2025 as the reigning FIA Formula 3 champion, where he had already built a reputation for relentless consistency, winning the championship without a race victory.
Winning back-to-back titles across F3 and F2 places him in rare company and highlights his adaptability between cars with vastly different power, weight, and tyre characteristics.
Few drivers manage to translate junior success so seamlessly into Formula 2. Fewer still win it as rookies.
What comes next?
With the Formula 2 crown secured, Fornaroli’s trajectory has already taken a decisive step toward Formula 1.
In December 2025, Leonardo joined the McLaren Driver Development Programme, marking a significant milestone in his career. As part of his involvement, he has taken on a Test and Development role within the McLaren Formula 1 team’s structure, embedding himself inside one of the sport’s most competitive operations.
For 2026, he will also serve as a McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team Reserve Driver, placing him directly in the F1 environment on race weekends while continuing to build experience behind the scenes.
In his combined role as Reserve, Test and Development Driver, Fornaroli will undertake an intensive testing and simulator programme designed both to accelerate his own progression and to provide vital support to the team. With Formula 1 entering an unprecedented era of new technical regulations, his work in the simulator and in testing machinery will contribute to McLaren’s development direction while sharpening his readiness for a future race opportunity.
For a driver whose 2025 season was defined by intelligence, consistency and composure, the next step is not just about earning a seat, it is about preparation. And embedded within McLaren’s structure, Leonardo Fornaroli now finds himself exactly where a champion-in-waiting needs to be.
