Invicta Racing’s Leonardo Fornaroli secured the 2025 FIA Formula 2 Championship in Qatar, capping a season defined by consistency, skill, and mental toughness. After qualifying second on Friday, a grid penalty for Oliver Goethe promoted Fornaroli to pole position for the Feature Race, giving him a prime opportunity to take control of the championship. He had already fought hard on Saturday, finishing P6 in the Sprint Race, and knew that every lap on Sunday could determine his fate.
From a tense formation lap to the final checkered flag, Fornaroli navigated challenges with calm precision, turning pressure into performance. The new F2 champion discussed his race, season and journey with Invicta Racing in the post-Feature Race press conference attended by Pit Debrief.
A difficult start to the race that sealed the title
Championship deciders rarely unfold without drama, and Fornaroli’s began even before the lights went out. The formation lap, usually a brief moment to compose oneself and confirm everything is functioning as expected, delivered a nasty surprise: his Invicta Racing machine slid into anti-stall. A moment like that can unravel a driver’s composure, but Fornaroli steadied the situation instantly.
“Yes, it was a hard race. I got anti-stall starting from the formation lap, which was quite scary. Luckily, the anti-stall worked. So we went a bit too safe with the clutch for the start.”
That conservative approach meant he was exposed when the race began. Victor Martins launched cleanly and swept past, forcing Fornaroli to adapt quickly and reassess the balance between risk and control.
“Victor had just a much better start than me and he passed. His pace was very nice on the option, but I struggled a bit more compared to him.”
Regaining rhythm and managing risk
Once the field settled, Fornaroli began to find the rhythm that had carried him through the season. The switch to the prime tyre helped him reconnect with the pace he expected, even if Martins remained just out of reach.
“But when we went to prime, the pace was like yesterday, so it was quite good. I was able to catch him a little bit, but then I couldn’t get in the DRS zone. And then I knew I had to get crucial points or get the championship. I mean, get points to arrive a bit safer in Abu Dhabi. A little bit disappointed I didn’t take the win. But we took the championship, so I’m feeling a bit better.”
Learning a new car, a new team and a new culture
This season began with uncertainty rather than expectation. Fornaroli was adapting not only to the demands of F2 machinery but also to a new team with a different engineering philosophy and a distinct-from-home working culture. That shift brought its own apprehensions.
“Sounds amazing. Starting the year, I mean, I didn’t have many expectations because it was a new car, a new team, first time working with an English team, so I was also a little bit scared of their mentality.”
But Invicta Racing proved to be the right environment. From day one, they offered the support and sense of belonging that a young driver needs during such a pivotal transition.
“But since the first day I started working with them, I mean, I understood I made the right choice to go with them. And every day they were able to make me feel at home. We had so much fun during this season. They were able to give me the right suggestion to make myself improve, to make me feel better after a mistake or a bad race or a bad moment.”
Stability through a familiar face
A major source of comfort came from having Roman Staněk alongside him. The two had crossed paths earlier in their careers, and Staněk’s knowledge of F2 proved invaluable in helping Fornaroli settle into the championship.
“Also, as a teammate Roman this year, we knew each other since three years as we were together in but in different categories. He had a good experience in Formula 2, so I was able to learn a lot from him and he made me improve as well.”
Relief, validation and the weight lifting
Winning the title delivered both emotional release and validation. It proved that he could compete at the highest level of junior single-seaters and that the work he had invested — on and off the track — had paid off.
“So, I mean, to get this now, it’s a massive relief and it’s a big boost of confidence because I was able this year to show what I’m capable of.”
And the championship wasn’t spotless. But Fornaroli embraced the inevitable imperfections, recognising them as a crucial part of his evolution rather than a blemish on his record.
“And also, I’m quite happy about how this season went. For sure, there were some mistakes I could have avoided, some for inexperience and some were just my mistakes, but it’s a big part of the game.”
Growing under pressure
F2’s level of competition demands constant precision and mental strength. Every single weekend tests the limits of a driver’s control and concentration, and Fornaroli experienced that intensity throughout the year.
“The championship is very competitive. You always have to be at the limit to score good results so mistakes can happen. Nevertheless, I learned, I was able to improve and now to finally win this championship, it’s a massive relief.”
Clinching the title early allowed him to breathe — at least slightly — heading into Abu Dhabi, though his motivation remains unchanged.
“Also, it was a dream for me to become champion with one round to go so I could race, I could experience to race with a lot less pressure. But still, I will do the best I can because the fight for the team championship is still on. So, I will push as much as I can in Abu Dhabi and try to still improve.”
The architect behind the scenes: his race engineer
Behind Fornaroli’s rise is a technical partnership that proved instrumental. His race engineer not only sharpened his performance but also provided the guidance and calm perspective needed during the most challenging moments of the year.
“Well, he’s an amazing engineer. He had a lot of really good drivers through his career, like Gabriel last year, so he was able to teach me so many things, both inside and outside the track when we were in the simulator.”
In moments of frustration or doubt, the engineer became a stabilising force, keeping him motivated and focused.
“He was always able to motivate me to improve and to do better, even if the race was not going in my way. And also myself, like I was asking him to keep me motivated because I was trying to catch Victor but we were always staying in the same distance.”
It was clear in the way Fornaroli spoke that this title belongs to the team as much as to the driver.
“So yeah, this result, it’s also thanks to him, thanks to all the Invicta staff, but with a really, really, really good season this year, then yeah, I will try to do the best next weekend to try to finish the good season we had with him.”
Following the path of champions
With back-to-back FIA F3 and F2 titles, Fornaroli now joins an elite group, some of whom have made it into the top tier of single seater motorsport. The significance of that achievement was not lost on him.
“Well, it’s a big emotion knowing that I’m doing the same thing that the top F1 guys did, like Oscar [Piastri], Charles [Leclerc], [George] Russell and Gabriel [Bortoleto]. To get two championships in a row, it’s amazing and it feels even better this one because it was my first year. So, just amazing.”
Support from rivals, childhood friends and rising F1 stars
Celebrations in parc fermé featured familiar faces — including Kimi Antonelli, whose relationship with Fornaroli stretches far beyond the paddock. Their shared childhood memories have created a bond that continues today.
“I’m a very good friend with him. We knew each other since we were young kids. As my father was racing in his dad’s team in GT3, so sometimes when I was going to watch his races, Kimi was also there, so we had great memories together.”
Watching Antonelli succeed in Formula 1 gave Fornaroli both motivation and belief that his own journey might lead in the same direction.
“He’s now doing an amazing job in F1. He was able to motivate me this year, also last year when I was fighting for the F3 title. I wish I can join him in the future and have some battles together.”
He also acknowledged the help and encouragement from another former teammate — now an F1 driver with Sauber — whose insight proved valuable during this season.
“Also, Gabriel came to congratulate me. We were teammates three years ago in F3. He was able to teach me a lot as well. I had all his data this year to compare with mine, so he was also a nice help for me.”
Delivering champion-level consistency
Consistency has always been one of Fornaroli’s strengths, and this year it became a defining characteristic. In a category where points are often separated by tenths of a second, his ability to maximise difficult weekends made the difference.
“These are amazing results and again, like last year, I showed that I’m very consistent. I mean, even if there were some problems or something was not going in the right way, I was always able to finish and to score good points. I still lost some opportunities this year, but as I said before, as part of the game, I learned from the mistakes. So, now that I finally won it, I’m a bit more relaxed.”
A mature transition into an F2 champion
Moving from F3 to F2 is one of the largest performance jumps in junior motorsport. Heavier cars, more powerful engines and the added complexity of tyre management require a complete recalibration of racecraft. Fornaroli embraced the process step by step.
“Well, I think this year, compared to last year, I improved a lot in my driving, also because F2 isn’t like F3. You have to be a lot more careful, both in Qualifying and races, especially in the races, because with a bigger car, more power, bigger tyres, this makes the tyre degradation more tricky.”
His meticulous preparation — from hours in the simulator to studying every detail of data and on-boards — became a cornerstone of his evolution.
“So, at the start of the year, I spent a lot of time in the simulator with my engineer and with my driver coach. Then I studied a lot of data, lots of on-boards from the races, in every race weekend.”
Even on the day he sealed the championship, the instinct to analyse and improve did not fade.
“Also today, even if I wasn’t the quickest on track, Victor did an amazing race. Still, I was able to do my own and stay, basically, the whole time with him in the second stint. We couldn’t catch him, so to even win, it’s a bit disappointing. I will see what I could have done better to try to improve and finish on a high next weekend.”
F1 the goal — but Yas Marina first
Despite the mounting speculation surrounding his future, Fornaroli remains committed to finishing the season professionally. His management handles what comes next, but the direction is clear.
“What’s next? I have an idea of what’s happening in the future. My focus still remains on the last round of F2 and in the meantime, my manager, my management is doing an amazing job and I’m very confident for what’s next. I hope you will all be able to see what will happen in a few weeks.”
His ambition, though, leaves no room for doubt.
“Well, F1 is for sure the main goal and I think I proved that I deserve it. As I said, I have an idea of what’s happening and I’m sure you will see in a few weeks what will happen.”
