In recent years, Invicta Racing has become one of the standout teams in Formula 2, producing drivers who not only succeed on track, but also graduate into higher categories with confidence and capability. In 2024, Gabriel Bortoleto won the Drivers’ Championship with the team, and at the F2 Qatar GP, Leonardo Fornaroli won the Championship this year on the penultimate round.
But what sits behind that success? What values and methods guide the team when selecting and developing the next generation of talent?
In an exclusive interview with Pit Debrief, Team Principal James Robinson described the key elements the team looks for when identifying drivers, down to recognising individuality rather than searching for a single ideal profile.
Individuality amongst drivers
Robinson explained that the process to identify drivers was to recognise that each driver is different to one another, which also comes down to the approach that they take to drive the car.
“So there’s a number of key elements that we look for when identifying drivers. I think the first point to note is that every driver is different, and every driver comes with a very different approach to driving the car.”
Unlike many traditional sporting pathways motorsports not only allows for but also demands a wide variety of driving styles and mental approaches. He noted that, even among their last two Drivers’ Champions, they both have been very different and that there isn’t a one size fits all template.
“I think motor sport, and obviously I can’t talk very authoritatively about other sports, but I think motor sport has one of the widest ranges in terms of approaches to how athletes approach doing their thing.”
“If I look at, say, the two last drivers we’ve had who have led the championship at this stage of the season, Leonardo Fornaroli and Gabriel Bortoleto, two drivers who actually are very good friends away from the circuit, but are very, very different characters and have very different approaches to think to how they go about racing. But I think obviously there are fundamentally you look at results first and foremost.”
Adapting to higher levels
Beyond raw performance, the transition between Formula 3 and Formula 2 brings a new layer of complexity for the drivers, where Invicta Racing places serious emphasis on technical adaptation.
“Secondary, we look at certain aspects that are specific to driving the F2 car.” He added, “so obviously the F2 car compared to the F3 car is a lot more powerful. The races are a lot longer.“
Formula 2 introduces pit stops and increased strategic complexity, particular within tyre management. There is also limited track time in the series, compared to many junior single-seater categories before Formula 3.
“We have pit stops. And so tyre management is fundamental and much more important than in F3.”
“So we look at things like that, long run abilities, and also how quickly then drivers can turn on pacing in qualifying, because your track time is very limited in a category like F2, if you compare it to something like F4 or FRECA, where you’ll have three races a weekend, maybe two practise sessions, a much longer qualifying session.”
“So, yeah, there are loads of different things that we look at.”
What defines a “complete driver”?
While speed and race victories may capture headlines, Invicta Racing focuses on a trait that defines long-term success in modern motorsport: repeatable excellence and consistency.
“But fundamentally, the key thing is for any team looks at in terms of delivering success in this championship. And of course, the view to Formula 1 is consistency over a long period of time and being able to deliver points on a week in, week out basis.”
Their structure, mindset and proven methodology demonstrates why the team has risen to becoming one of the most successful in the feeder series landscape. Invicta Racing’s driver philosophy approach reinforces that talent may open the door, but adaptability and consistency are what turn young racers into complete drivers, which sets them on the path to becoming future Formula 1 contenders.
