The F2 title favorite who seeks consistency over wins

“Initially, I didn't like motorsport.” As quickly as our chat with Leonardo Fornaroli begins, he candidly opens up.

The Piacenza native, born in December 2004 inside 200km of each Monza and Imola, did develop up round racing. His father, Valentino Fornaroli, raced competitively from 2008 to 2015 – largely within the Italian GT Championship, with a brief foray into Worldwide GT Open.

In the meantime, younger Leonardo was experimenting elsewhere. “I attempted many sports activities, however none me,” he confesses. However the important thing – as is the case for a lot of racing drivers – was a karting outing.

“Watching my father doing races, beginning to watch Components 1 with him on TV… I stated, ‘Okay, I need to attempt',” Fornaroli relates. “Someday we went to attempt the traditional go-karts – the quite simple ones, electrical indoor. First lap, I fell in love with it.”

Fornaroli's karting profession didn't characteristic superb highlights; his early single-seater years had been fairly low-key too, as he was a constant frontrunner in Italian F4 however took only one victory over two years, then achieved many points-scoring finishes as a rookie within the Components Regional European Championship by Alpine however didn't make it to the rostrum.

In these years, Fornaroli combined with quite a lot of future F1 drivers: Gabriel Bortoleto, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Isack Hadjar, and 2021 Italian F4 champion Oliver Bearman. May he inform that these drivers had been particular on the time? “After all they had been!

“With Ollie Berman we had a fantastic season in F4 collectively. He was very fast. We had a tough time on observe attempting to struggle with him; a very nice struggle by all of the years. In order that was the man that I stated, ‘OK, this man, if he continues like this, he can truly go there within the large championship.'

“In Misano, I keep in mind we had a fantastic battle, each in Race 1 and Race 3. In Race 1, I received. In Race 3, he received. On the finish, we each received with some hole to one another. So within the first laps of the race, we had been giving every thing to take the lead from one another. It was a really pleasing struggle.”

Fornaroli then graduated to F3, spending one other two seasons with the Milan-based Trident outfit he raced with in FRECA – the workforce that has led Bortoleto, Fornaroli and Rafael Camara to the F3 title from 2023 to 2025.

“In Components Regional, it was a fairly dangerous selection for me to go together with them as a result of they had been absolutely new to the class,” the Italian admits. “However as a result of we labored so arduous all collectively, additionally with my team-mates, with all of the engineers collectively to attempt to develop the automotive as a lot as we might, we had been in a position to develop lots all through the season. On the finish, we managed to win the rookie title and end P8 total within the championship, which for me was a very nice outcome given the way it was going at the beginning of the season.

“It exhibits that the strategy of Trident is working additionally in F3. For certain, in F3 they had been beginning in a better place as a result of they'd far more expertise within the class – however nonetheless, even if you're probably the greatest groups, there's at all times [something] to enhance.

“Consistency is the important thing in feeder collection now, as a result of the extent is so excessive that doing factors each race can truly put you in competition for the title” Leonardo Fornaroli

“And that is what I favored in these two years that I stayed with the F3 workforce: already trying to find the very best automotive, and in addition they had been serving to me lots to attempt to drive pretty much as good as I can. The teamwork is superb.”

Fornaroli's time in F3 was a basic case of ‘one yr to study, one yr to win'. The Italian's maiden marketing campaign yielded one pole place and some podium finishes; then in 2024, he certified within the prime six in any respect rounds however one, labeled within the prime 12 in each single race amongst a 30-strong discipline, and achieved a vital seven podiums – which was key to prevailing over Gabriele Mini, Luke Browning and Arvid Lindblad, all of whom loved some highlights in an up-and-down season.

Was it irritating clinching the title with out truly profitable any races? “No, I wasn't annoyed in any respect,” Fornaroli insists. “As a result of consistency is the important thing in feeder collection now, as a result of the extent is so excessive that doing factors each race can truly put you in competition for the title. Additionally, I did not have to win a race to win the title.

“Truly, profitable the title with none race wins taught me methods to keep calm and composed beneath enormous stress – as a result of the stress is there, as a result of you're a championship contender. I simply put myself in the very best place for the primary objective. On the finish, I did it by myself and I achieved that.”

This calmness emanates from the 20-year-old each on and off the observe. It's fairly telling that he has not retired from a race in a collision or crash of his personal making since his F4 days; he brazenly tries to “suppose a bit extra” when he's racing.

“Generally, if you're combating for giant factors, it is higher to remain out of bother and convey dwelling the outcome as an alternative of attempting to do a really arduous overtake to attempt to rating a pair extra factors. As a result of in case you get it nicely, you rating a bit extra factors, but when it would not finish nicely, you lose so many factors.” This may increasingly sound apparent, however teenage racers do are usually accident-prone. Not him.

Likewise, Fornaroli didn't panic when Mini, Lindblad and Browning had been 19 to 26 factors forward with three rounds to go in F3 2024 – although he casually admits this was “not good”.

“I simply remained calm and stated to myself, ‘OK, I do know it is solely three rounds to go, however nonetheless every thing can occur. So, simply attempt to rating as many factors as you possibly can, and simply focus by yourself issues.' In the long run, we nonetheless managed to do it and I am very happy with that. Additionally, it helped me this yr as a result of after Barcelona, we had been P6. I do not keep in mind what number of factors to the chief, however we had been nonetheless fairly far. And in the long run, I managed to regain the championship lead.

“It exhibits me that the expertise of combating for the championship final yr, it is also serving to me this yr on staying extra calm and extra centered on myself to realize good outcomes. After all, the season is much from over and every thing can nonetheless occur. Nothing is determined.”

This yr, Fornaroli's F2 marketing campaign began strongly with second place within the Melbourne dash – although he began from pole due to Saturday's reverse grid for the highest 10 qualifiers – and he has step by step change into stronger since then.

“I had some errors within the races because of the inexperience, like some selections within the technique, some errors on the tyre administration, on the pitstop, on the out-lap with chilly tyres,” the Invicta driver admits, with most of those areas new to F2 rookies as there aren't any obligatory pitstops in F3. “It is one thing that you just enhance race by race. Now I improved positively beneath that viewpoint within the final races.”

Fornaroli's breakthrough got here within the Silverstone dash race, wherein he took a lights-to-flag win from reverse-grid pole place – his first victory in motorsport since his sophomore F4 marketing campaign again in 2021, which he admittedly was “just a little bit” relieved about.

Over these 4 years, he climbed on 21 podiums throughout 4 completely different championships, by no means reaching the highest step – which isn't dissimilar to F1 driver Pierre Gasly's personal winless streak separating his title-winning campaigns in Eurocup Components Renault 2.0 in 2013 and GP2 (now F2) in 2016. On the time, Gasly had collected 16 podium finishes, taking the runner-up spot within the 2014 Components Renault 3.5 season within the course of, however his dry spell additionally featured quite a lot of missed alternatives – most of which had been out of his management.

And similar to Gasly, the Italian took three F2 wins in fast succession as soon as he broke his duck, snatching the lead from third on the grid within the Spa-Francorchamps dash, then dominating the Hungarian characteristic race regardless of a five-second penalty for dashing within the pitlane.

“I did a very good enchancment on that in comparison with the primary races, however nonetheless I've to assist [my engineer] a bit extra; additionally enhance just a little bit my suggestions from the automotive to make his life simpler” Leonardo Fornaroli

Fornaroli consequently leads the drivers' standings going into the summer season break, with a 17-point benefit over a good four-driver chasing pack comprised of Jak Crawford, Richard Verschoor, Browning and Alex Dunne.

Irishman Dunne is the driving force that has impressed Fornaroli probably the most to date – he wasn't a constant frontrunner in F3 final yr – particularly following a dominant show within the moist Spa-Francorchamps F2 characteristic race, the place the McLaren junior crossed the end line first, with a 10-second penalty for a begin process infringement dropping him to ninth.

Two-thirds into the F2 season, Fornaroli nonetheless has room for enchancment, which will probably be key in a aggressive title race. “To collaborate a bit extra with my engineer on the set-up selection,” he factors out as an space he wants to take a look at. “I did a very good enchancment on that in comparison with the primary races, however nonetheless I've to assist him a bit extra; additionally enhance just a little bit my suggestions from the automotive to make his life simpler.”

F2 could be particularly difficult in that regard with only a 45-minute free observe session previous qualifying, with completely different compounds in each. “You have got additionally to remember what will change,” Fornaroli particulars. “Perhaps you will have extra entrance [end] and possibly you will have a greater rear [end], or total grip basically. The engineers have extra expertise on that in order that they know already the correct selection, however it's at all times a fantastic assist if the driving force can do his half and make his life just a little bit simpler.”

Success in F2 as a debutant might fast-track Fornaroli to F1, as was the case for many rookie champions within the collection – Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Gabriel Bortoleto bought a seat the next yr, whereas Oscar Piastri spent a season on the sidelines at Alpine earlier than McLaren gave him his large break.

But, not like the likes of Dunne (McLaren), Browning (Williams) and Crawford (ex-Pink Bull, now Aston Martin) and Verschoor (ex-Pink Bull), Fornaroli has by no means been affiliated to an F1 workforce.

“It is a very difficult course of,” he explains. “It isn't that you've a few good outcomes and mechanically you enter. It is a lengthy factor to judge. It's important to see what's the smartest thing for you. For the second we had a number of conversations, which is sweet, however I attempt to concentrate on myself, and with my administration I'll attempt to go ahead on that. To have some conversations is sweet as a result of it implies that some groups are beginning to discover what I am doing on observe.”

As as to if he's in contact with anybody relating to a 2026 F1 seat, Fornaroli cautiously refrains from saying something which may have the slightest probability of jeopardising his future: “I do not know what is going on to occur. For now, I am simply specializing in the current to attempt to win this championship. Then we'll see sooner or later.”

And if he fails to win the title this yr, Fornaroli would contemplate a reserve F1 function – hoping for not solely simulator work but in addition on-track checks – alongside one other F2 marketing campaign: “If I am not going to win, as an alternative of not racing, it may be extra useful to repeat, so I'll preserve that in thoughts.”

Curiously, this method does differ from most different drivers. F2 frontrunners normally chorus from signing up for an additional marketing campaign within the collection, lest it damages their fame in the event that they fail to win emphatically; within the 2020s, the one drivers who returned to F2 after ending within the prime 4 of the championship have been Robert Shwartzman and Theo Pourchaire, each of whom improved of their final makes an attempt on the collection – the Russian was fourth as a rookie and second as a sophomore, whereas the Frenchman went fifth, second, champion. However none of them made it to F1.

If Fornaroli ever does attain F1, he'll get to race alongside one in every of his childhood function fashions – he was impressed with Lewis Hamilton and notably favored Sebastian Vettel within the 2010s – although the household hero is MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi. “As a result of my father began with motocross, he is an enormous fan of motorbikes as nicely. Other than F1, we're watching MotoGP a lot and cheering for Valentino. I imply, we have now so many devices of him right here at dwelling! And I truly had the chance to fulfill him this yr – it was like a dream for me.”

Whereas Italy's riders have had loads of success through the years, possibly the likes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Leonardo Fornaroli will ultimately convey dwelling a primary F1 drivers' world title since Alberto Ascari within the early Fifties. It's about time for such a significant nation in racing.