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After a thrilling championship victory, newly crowned F3 champion Leonardo Fornaroli will move up to F2 next season.
Fornaroli took the F3 title in spectacular style in Italy in the Feature Race. After a poor start, he dropped down the order, moving out of championship contention.
After a strong drive back up the order, championship rival Gabrielle Mini sensed an opportunity. He looked to have wrestled the title out of Fornaroli’s grasp by overtaking him on the penultimate lap. It all seemed over when Christian Mansell also powered past.
But Fornaroli mimicked seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton by pulling off a daring overtake into the final corner of the last lap. He secured the championship on home soil by diving down the inside of Mansell at Parabolica, in a move that will no doubt go down in history.
The next step
With the title secured, Fornaroli will now graduate to F2, swapping his Trident for Invicta. In a statement released by Invicta Racing, the Italian said:
I’m so happy to be able to celebrate winning the F3 championship with this news and I cannot wait to step up to F2 next season. Invicta Racing has proven itself over many years to be one of the best teams in F2, including this season.
I’m really excited to work with the team for the 2025 season. I want to take this opportunity to thank Trident for the past three years, they really are the best team in F3. To go from the best team in F3 to the best in F2 is a truly a dream come true.
Andy Roache, Team Principal of Invicta Racing spoke of his “delight” at securing Fornaroli for 2025:
“We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Leonardo to the team for 2025. Winning the F3 Championship is an incredible achievement for him, and I have no doubt that he’ll do a brilliant job in 2025.
“We’ve followed Leonardo’s single-seater career for a few years now and it’s clear that he’s an outstanding talent. Following in the footsteps of Gabriel this year, we’re thrilled to have the reigning F3 Champion join our team for the second year in succession.”
Full statement from Invicta
“Invicta Racing is delighted to announce the signing of newly crowned FIA Formula 3 champion Leonardo Fornaroli for the 2025 FIA Formula 2 season.
Fornaroli, who secured the 2024 F3 title with a last lap, last corner overtake in the season finale, will graduate to F2 next season with Invicta Racing.
The promotion comes off the back of a remarkable season, in which he took seven podiums and scored points in 18 out of 20 races, remaining consistent when his rivals faltered.
A race winner and regular podium finisher during his stint in the Italian F4 Championship, Fornaroli is no stranger to success in junior single-seater categories, and will look to replicate that form in F2 next year.
In preparation for the 2025 season, Fornaroli will also participate in the post-season test in Abu Dhabi for Invicta Racing, the team currently occupying first place in the Formula 2 Teams’ Championship.”
Feature Image Credit: Invicta Racing