As the F2 championship heads to Spa-Francorchamps for Round 9 of the 2025 season, the pressure is mounting with increasingly tight title battles. With only one weekend remaining before the summer break, Leonardo Fornaroli is eager to capitalise on every opportunity at one of motorsport’s most challenging and unpredictable circuits.
Ahead of the weekend’s action, Pit Debrief and select media had the opportunity to speak with Invicta Racing’s Fornaroli, who currently sits fourth in the Championship standings. The Italian driver shared his thoughts on the challenges ahead and his expectations for the weekend.
Weather as the main challenge
When asked about the main challenges of racing at Spa with an F2 car, Fornaroli was quick to identify the unpredictable weather conditions as a key factor.
“The weather will be a big challenge already from today. It looks very unpredictable,” Fornaroli explained. “Qualifying and races in Spa are always very, very close between each driver, especially in the races, because with big DRS zones it’s very hard to try to make a gap from the cars behind. So, it will be important to be on it since it’s a fair practise and be quick in every condition.”
The uncertainty that comes with Spa’s notorious weather does not seem to faze the rookie driver, who takes a pragmatic approach to the conditions.
“Until everyone is on the same boat, I like to drive in every condition,” he said. “If it’s a bit of a mix before the start of the race, then it starts to be difficult.”
“Also, depending on which position you’re starting in. If you’re a bit more behind, you can take a bit more risk. If you’re in front, you try to be more careful. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t work. But you have to live with it in the end. Everything can happen.”
Bouncing back from Silverstone
Fornaroli’s last outing at Silverstone did not go according to plan, with a poor result in Friday’s Qualifying putting him on the back foot for Sunday. Despite this, the Italian driver remains confident heading into this weekend. Reflecting on that difficult session, he admitted it was one of his toughest qualifying experiences of the season.
“It was a very difficult Friday for me. I mean, I never struggled that much in a qualifying session. But it’s okay, sometimes it can happen to have a little bit of a negative day,” Fornaroli reflected. “But still, we were in the top ten, so inside the top ten, the weekend is never over. Then I also had the chance to start P1 on Saturday and take my first win.”
Despite the setback, the extra F2 experience has only strengthened Fornaroli’s resolve for Spa. “I’m feeling very confident for this weekend. And yeah, I hope I will go back to fight for the top position in qualifying. And yeah, I’m confident we can do that.”
Exceeding expectations in rookie campaign
Perhaps most remarkably, Fornaroli’s current fourth-place position in the championship standings has exceeded even his own expectations. The Italian driver admitted that he entered the season with an open mind, particularly given the new working relationship with a British team.
When asked by Pit Debrief whether Fornaroli expected to be in the top four heading into the F2 Belgian GP he said, “I didn’t have many expectations going through this season because everything was new.”
“Also, first time working with a British team. I always raced for Italian teams since last year. So, we didn’t know what to expect. So, I’m happy now that we are fighting for the top position in the championship.”
While pleased with the progress made so far, Fornaroli remains focused on continuous improvement. “So, I’m happy about how we started and how the first phase went. But there is always something to improve and I will try to do that in the next races.”
With the F2 title fights closer than ever and Fornaroli sitting in a strong fourth position, all eyes will be on Round 9 in Spa to see who will take the top prize at this iconic Belgian venue. As the penultimate round before the summer break, this weekend could prove pivotal in shaping the championship battle ahead.
