Leonardo Fornaroli is number 1 in Formula 2, and that’s not just the number on his car. The 2024 F3 Champion is taking his rookie F2 season by storm. The Invicta Racing driver has taken four victories and a further four podiums to bump him to the top of the standings with two weekends to go.
Fornaroli has collected 188 points this season, 19 points clear of closest championship rival, Jak Crawford, in second. Consistency has been key for the young Italian, who is only one of two drivers to score points in every race weekend this season.
2024 Formula 3 Champion
The 2024 F3 Championship went down to the last race, but it was Fornaroli who stood victorious. The then Trident driver managed to claim the coveted championship without winning a single race. Fornaroli finished on the podium in seven of the 20 races in 2024 and, while he missed out on a victory, was in the points in every single race bar two.
Similar to his current Formula 2 campaign, Fornaroli made significant improvements for his second F3 campaign. After finishing 11th in 2023, Fornaroli focused on his tyre management which brought him consistency and race pace.
If Fornaroli wins the F2 Championship this season, he will join an allusive list of drivers who claimed F3 and F2 titles back to back. 2024 F2 Champion Gabriele Bortoleto is on this coveted list alongside F1’s Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and George Russell.
First of Many Victories
The F2 Sprint Race at the 2025 British Grand Prix was a milestone moment for Fornaroli. The Invicta Racing driver claimed his first win in Formula 2 after a dominant display from start to finish.
Speaking to EverythingF1, following the race, Leonardo Fornaroli was delighted with the performance.
“Crossing the line, there was silence in my helmet. I was just thinking: finally. We’ve had pace all year, but now we’ve converted it. The first one is always special”
But the victories didn’t stop there for the Italian, Fornaroli recorded back to back Sprint Race wins at the following weekend in Spa. While his first Feature Race win came one race weekend later at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where a perfectly timed undercut gave Fornaroli the victory over his teammate Roman Stanek.
Finally, he did it at home. After finishing second in the F3 Feature Race at the Italian Grand Prix in 2024, Fornaroli claimed the top step in Monza. An overtaking masterclass saw the young Italian claim the top step in the F2 Sprint Race, adding an additional ten points to his title fight.
From Invicta Racing to F1
While they have claimed back to back F2 Teams Championships, Invicta Racing is often overlooked as one of the top teams in the championship. Both Fornaroli and Stanek praised their team following their double podium in the Silverstone Sprint Race,
“We’ve known for a while the pace is there,” Fornaroli told us. “Now the results are starting to show it… This win gives us momentum. But we go again tomorrow. Nothing’s finished.”
While Fornaroli may be the current star of Invicta Racing, he is only one of the only top running drivers that isn’t supported by a driver academy. Driver academies are fast becoming the traditional route into securing a seat in Formula 1, however they can also hinder one’s career. F2 Champion Oscar Piastri was backed by the Alpine driver academy during his F2 stint in 2021, however wasn’t offered a full time drive with the team until 2023. Similarly, 2023 F2 Champion Theo Pourchaire, who was in the Sauber Academy, never received a full time seat in F1.
Fornaroli’s choice to not be in a driver academy could also open doors that may not have been possible before. The Italian, while still racing under Invicta, is not tied to any Formula 1 team. Fornaroli is therefore open to any seats that may arise in the top league.
Closing in on the Championship
Fornaroli is in a front row seat to score the 2025 F2 Championship. The 2024 F3 Champion has the chance to secure the F2 title in Qatar. While only 19 points ahead of Jak Crawford in second, if Fornaroli was to outscore Crawford by over 18 points, he would claim the championship with one race to spare.
With two weekends left in the 2025 F2 Season, the championship fight is in full swing for Leonardo Fornaroli. Formula 2 is back in Qatar this weekend, with the drivers on track for Practice at 2:05pm local time (GMT+3).
Featured Image Credit: Formula 2 via X