Invicta Racing delivered one of its strongest performances of the 2025 FIA Formula 2 season to date with a stunning double podium in the Sprint Race at Silverstone, as Leonardo Fornaroli claimed his long-awaited maiden victory in the category. The Italian rookie led home teammate Roman Staněk, who stormed to third place with a decisive late-race move, sealing a 1–3 result that firmly established Invicta as one of the standout teams of the British GP weekend. Team Principal James Robinson praised both Invicta Racing drivers for their execution and selfless teamwork during the F2 Sprint Race at the 2025 British GP, describing the squad’s harmony as key to their recent rise in form.
Fornaroli seals long-awaited victory in style
Invicta Racing’s Leonardo Fornaroli finally claimed his first F2 victory in Saturday’s Sprint Race at the 2025 British GP, delivering a composed and commanding performance at Silverstone. Starting from reverse-grid pole, Fornaroli lost the lead briefly to Kush Maini at Turn 1 but responded immediately with a bold move around the outside on the run to Copse. From that point on, he controlled the race masterfully.
Fornaroli managed the tyres, the pace, and the chasing pack with calm assurance, crossing the line with a comfortable margin to record his first win in four years across all categories. It marked a significant moment for the Italian rookie, who had been searching for a breakthrough since joining the F2 grid.
Asked how pleased he was for Fornaroli, Invicta Racing Team Principal James Robinson replied, “Unbelievably so. We tried not to put too much pressure on it, and we tried to dismiss any of the talk around he has not won a race and XYZ. But we all know that for him and for the team, there was a big monkey on his back, so to get that, I could not be happier for him.”
Although Fornaroli briefly surrendered the lead, Robinson pointed out the maturity of his response and the calm that followed.
“It was not a great start, but he quickly got on the front foot and put a really clean move in, and from there, we were all actually calm on the pit wall, it never really looked in doubt. He managed the gap really well and got out of DRS very quickly. There was a little part of the race where it starts to get a bit dicey, but towards the last third when the deg started to show, he had a comfortable margin.”
Staněk charges to podium with late move
While Fornaroli led from the front, Roman Staněk worked his way into contention with a tenacious drive from the midfield. After biding his time through the opening laps, the Czech driver made a decisive move past Maini on the penultimate lap to snatch the final spot on the podium. It marked a welcome return to form for Staněk, who had often found himself on the back foot in previous races.
Robinson was quick to highlight the value of Staněk’s perseverance and the reward that finally came.
“I am really happy for Roman as well,” said Robinson. “It is great that he is really starting to bear the fruits of the work that he is putting in.”
Indeed, the Team Principal reaffirmed his belief in Staněk’s abilities, which had been evident internally from the start of the season despite limited results.
“We saw it from the start. I did a couple of interviews at the start of the season and I said how impressed we were with Roman and we really are, and for various reasons the results have not really shown that.”
“To go from where he was on the grid to P3, it was a really impressive drive. It was really nice for him to be on the front foot during the race, because he has often been on the back foot. So great to see both cars on the podium.”
Team spirit and harmony the foundation of success
In addition to the drivers’ performances, Robinson emphasised that Invicta Racing’s F2 Sprint Race success at the 2025 British GP was a product of a unified and harmonious team environment. According to the team boss, Fornaroli and Staněk have developed a relationship built on mutual respect, openness, and collaboration—an increasingly rare commodity in a competitive environment like F2.
“Honestly, they are two of the best drivers I have ever worked with,” said Robinson. “What is so great about working with them, it is how well they work with each other. They are really selfless in what they do, they will give each other tips and hints.”
Robinson further explained that while Fornaroli brings outright pace and precision, he benefits from Staněk’s deeper experience in the category.
“Leo can lean on Roman’s experience in this Championship. We know how quick and talented he is, but they are really harmonious in the way they work, they are always happy to speak to the other side of the garage, and the other engineer.”
Beyond the garage, that unity was also visible on the pit wall as both sides of the team rallied behind each other.
“On the pit wall as well, Leo’s engineer was cheering on Roman towards the end of the race. I know it is a cliché to say we really are a team, but there are no truer words to say than that for this team.”
“It is a really galvanised group of people and when one side of the garage wins, the other side is just as happy and vice versa.”
Eyes on Feature Race glory with top-10 starts for both drivers
Looking ahead to Sunday’s Feature Race, both Invicta drivers will start from within the top ten. Staněk will line up fourth, while Fornaroli, due to the reverse-grid Sprint format, will begin from tenth. Nonetheless, Robinson remains optimistic that both drivers can score meaningful points if they maintain the same level of tyre management and racecraft.
“I think for Roman, he has a great starting position,” Robinson explained. “If he can manage his tyres as well tomorrow as he did today, he can really go forwards in the race tomorrow. He has a chance to score some big points, which would help him a lot.”
As for Fornaroli, Robinson sees a clear path to further success if the team executes the strategy and pace they demonstrated in the Sprint Race.
“For Leo, the same. Obviously, he has a more difficult grid position, but we have seen here today that towards the end of the stint, if you manage the tyres well in the first two-thirds of the stint, it really starts to pay dividends in the final laps of the race.”
He concluded with a clear plan for both sides of the garage: “The plan is to go forward tomorrow, and if we can do that, we will be really happy.”
