Leonardo Fornaroli reflected on his development with Invicta Racing and comradeship with Richard Verschoor.
Fornaroli, the 2025 FIA Formula 2 champion with Invicta Racing, has shared his personal development that pushed him to the title. Speaking to the media, including Pit Debrief, the now McLaren F1 Reserve Driver detailed how hard work with his team made his transformation over recent seasons possible.
Growth through hard work
Fornaroli admitted that his rapid progress caught even him off guard when looking back just a few years. When asked by Pit Debrief to reflect on his early karting days until his victory, he highlighted the consistent effort that delivered strong results in 2024 and 2025.
“If I return back, even just three or four years ago, I never would have expected the growth I have experienced in these past few years,” he said. “[My growth] was very important and what allowed me to achieve these beautiful results during this year and last year.”
“It was the result of hard work, of a year spent alongside competent and very professional, such as my driver coach, all the engineers I’ve had on track and life alike, this year’s and last year’s Team Manager, the Team Principal as well, a lot of simulator work, a lot of studied data, while always trying to improve on and off track. If I look back a bit at the work and at the evolution I’ve had in these last few years, I’m very proud of what I have had.”
Beyond individual dedication, Fornaroli credited the supportive environment at Invicta, a team with deep roots in Formula 2 dating back to its GP2 days under various names, with the modern Invicta structure evolving from the former Virtuosi operation. In addition to his own success, Invicta supported Gabriel Bortoleto while helping many young drivers grow across technical, mental and motivational aspects.
Invicta’s approach with young talent
When asked by Pit Debrief about Invicta’s secret to success over the past seasons, he was quick to praise his team. According to the Italian driver, what sets Invicta Racing apart is their proven ability to guide rookies through challenges. Even when results lagged, the team kept drivers focused and improving in every area.
“Invicta is a team with a lot of experience in Formula 2 and in GP2. It changed name a lot of times. They know how to work very well with young drivers, and they managed with me and Gabriel [Bortoleto] both, but also with many other drivers, to make them grow and improve in all aspects, to keep them motivated even if things weren’t going in the right direction. Thanks to them, we have managed to achieve this great result and I’m sure they will do the same with many other drivers.”
Respect for Verschoor’s experience
Fornaroli then discussed Verschoor, explaining how they first crossed paths during two years at Trident while he was in the lower series and Verschoor already in F2. Chats off track led to solid respect and friendship, even with the on track rivalry.
When asked about Verschoor joining McLaren, Fornaroli noted his rival’s edge in high pressure strategy calls this season. “He raced for Trident for two years, in those two years I was there too in other categories, so we have had occasions to talk, to exchange some chats and get to know each other,” he said.
“Now we are good friends, there’s a lot of respect on track. Richard is a driver with a notable experience, in fact this year in the occasions where a lot of though was needed to look for the most suitable strategy at the moment, he was always able to beat me.”
Now united under McLaren’s umbrella, the pair’s dynamic could benefit the team’s junior efforts moving forward.
Fornaroli’s reflections as Invicta Racing F2 champion demonstrate how blending personal grind with a strong team backbone leads to championships. As he steps up, Invicta’s legacy with youth endures.
