Leonardo Fornaroli, the 2024 F3 champion, heads into his home race at Monza as the Formula 2 championship leader. In his first year driving for Invicta Racing, he impressed with 154 points, holding a 17-point advantage over Jak Crawford, with Richard Vershoor a further two points behind.
So far, Fornaroli has claimed eight podiums, featuring Sprint Race wins at Silverstone and Spa, and his first Feature Race victory in Budapest.
Special memories at Monza
Returning to Monza is a significant moment for Fornaroli, who sealed his Formula 3 championship at the same circuit last year with Trident. That success came after a dramatic last-lap overtake on Christian Mansell at Parabolica, which secured him the title in a tight battle with Gabriel Minì.
Reflecting on his connection with the track, Fornaroli said:
“Really good to be back racing, especially in Monza. It’s a special track for me, I love the atmosphere, the track, everything. Hopefully we’ll have a good weekend, and I can’t wait to get going again.”
He added, “When I was doing the track walk at Parabolica, I was thinking about the overtake. It was a special moment. I have felt so many emotions here at this track, some very good like last year’s title win, my first front row in Formula 4, and first podium too.”
Despite his strong memories, he remains humble, saying, “But I’ve also got some bad ones, but still, that’s why Monza is special for me. Hopefully, we can create some more good memories this weekend.”
Qualifying and race focus
Fornaroli emphasized the importance of qualifying at Monza, where slipstreaming plays a crucial role in lap times. “It will be very important to have a nice tow in Qualifying and to be at the front to try and have two good races. Overall, you need a clean lap without any mistakes because the gaps are very close here. Any small mistake can cost a lot of laptime. In the Sprint Race, depending on how you start, you need to manage everything and that should help you for the Feature Race.”
Looking ahead with optimism, he concluded, “I’m feeling very good at the moment, I know the potential is very high. Last year with Gabriel, they won from last on the grid. Also, I’ve always been competitive here so I’m confident we can have a good weekend here.”
With four races left in the season and the championship fight incredibly close, Fornaroli will be looking to use the energy of his home crowd to extend his advantage in the F2 drivers championship.
