Leonardo Fornaroli delighted the home crowd at Monza by taking victory in the Formula 2 Sprint Race, extending his championship lead and showing once again why consistency and composure have become hallmarks of his season.
“It’s super nice” – home win for Invicta driver
The Italian moved into the lead on lap eight after overtaking Dino Beganovic at Turn 1, before withstanding relentless pressure from Arvid Lindblad all the way to the chequered flag of the F2 Sprint Race in Monza.
“Yeah, it’s super nice. It was a great race,” Fornaroli said after the win. “I’m happy we showed that we had a really nice pace for the three yesterday. I had an electrical issue in the qualifying so I couldn’t end my run. So happy we showed that we were quite quick. It was not easy when I found myself to be one.”
“I had Arvid [Lindblad] behind myself through basically the whole race. It was all the time in DRS. I had to drive perfectly without any mistakes. Otherwise, it was going to catch me. But yeah, we managed to take it, and I’m happy about this one.”
Battling Lindblad until the final lap
Lindblad shadowed Fornaroli throughout the closing stages of the F2 Sprint Race in Monza, keeping within DRS range and piling on the pressure. Asked when he felt in control, the Invicta driver admitted it came late.
“Only in the last lap when I saw he went off the DRS because throughout the race he was always at the same distance. To me, we were having the same pace basically. So we fought very hard. So yeah, it was a funny race.”
The win gives Fornaroli a healthy cushion in the title fight, though he remains cautious about the races to come.
“Well, I hope yes,” he said of the chance to extend his lead further. “It’s not going to be easy because I’m going to start more to the back, but I will give my best.”
From Mr Consistency to serial winner
Fornaroli, who earned the nickname “Mr Consistency” in Formula 3 for regular podiums without victories, was asked if something had changed this year to unlock his winning form.
“You know, last year in some races we were just a bit unlucky. Sometimes something was happening, or sometimes I was doing a mistake. So we couldn’t achieve any wins,” he reflected.
“This year, in some races, we were in just a better position to win, and I managed everything a bit better. It’s not like the Formula 2 car suits more my driving style. It’s just because we’re in a better position.”
“Finding very well with Invicta, they work super well with young drivers. They always know the right suggestions to give to us and to make us improve.”
Managing tyres despite early lock-up
The race was not without challenges. Fornaroli suffered a flat spot after a heavy lock-up while attempting to pass Beganovic at the restart of the F2 Sprint Race in Monza, but he kept control of the situation.
“I mean, I felt very good with the car until the last part of the race. When I tried to overtake Dino at the first restart, I had a nice lock-up and had a quite disturbing flat spot throughout the race, and it was actually also getting worse lap by lap.”
“But I was managing my braking shape, also was helping myself with the brake balance in the big braking zones and started to get damaged in the front left in the last laps. I think everyone started to suffer a little bit more in the last laps. So yeah, luckily I managed everything during all the race. So even if I had the front left a bit damaged, I still managed to be safe.”
Eyes on the championship run-in
With the F2 season entering its final stretch, Fornaroli says his approach remains unchanged despite the growing points advantage.
“Like every weekend. Because I mean, if you have a good gap in the championship, it doesn’t mean you can relax. Because as I saw yesterday, everything can happen. The level is incredibly high. So you always have to be at your top to perform.”
“For sure, the experience from last year helped because it helped me to stay a bit more composed during situations under big pressure.”
