Invicta Racing believes they can head into the second round of the season with ‘fine form’ after both drivers secured a top 5 finish during the Australian Sprint Race. This track will see the first Feature Race of the 2025 season, after the cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix due to heavy rainfall.
Nonetheless, newest recruit Leonardo Fornaroli, showed particular excellence after gaining a podium position with his first outing in the FIA Formula 2 championship, after winning the overall Formula 3 championship in 2024.
Roman Stanek, previously racing for Trident and finishing 22nd in the championship last season, has joined this highly successful team which previously shined recent Formula One rookie and the 2024 F2 champion, Gabriel Bortoleto. But how will the two drivers compete with the desert?
The Bahrain International Circuit is seen as a circuit that tests drivers to their limits with a mixture of fast and slow corners, keeping in mind that Turn 4 provides an excellent opportunity for overtaking after the first of three DRS zones that heads into a flowing sequence of corners.
It’s also important to note that this circuit has one of the most abrasive surfaces on the Formula 2 calendar that requires drivers to commit to multiple pitstops from heavy tyre degradation.
Team principal, James Robinson agrees that:
“After a few weeks away from the track, we are ready to continue the season at Bahrain International Circuit. Bahrain provides a challenge to teams and drivers with the high temperatures and tyre management demands, but we’ve already had some time to prepare after completing in season testing here not too long ago.”
Invicta Racing showed promising results particularly during the second day of testing, with Stanek and Fornaroli both taking third and fourth place respectively in the time sheets to add further encouragement for themselves and team personnel. Furthermore, Fornaroli has previously shown strong form at this circuit after previously finishing in 3rd place at the Sprint Race during his F3 campaign in 2024, and is a prime driver to look out for over the weekend.
Even though 2024 was Invicta Racing’s inaugural year of racing after taking ownership from Virtuosi Racing, the British team had performed on par in Sakhir with 3 out of 4 points finishes over the course of the season opener. A 5th place position by Bortoleto was the highest takeaway into the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah.
However, by winning the driver and team’s championship, it’s only a matter of time before fans could see either of the two drivers land on top, especially when considering that one of them is a previous F3 champion.
Robinson continues his enthusiam for the weekend:
“There’s lots to be optimistic about heading into this round as it marks the start of a double header.”
The anticipation of a double header after disappointing weather conditions from the season opener will bring more excitement to fans across the world, however Stanek and Fornaroli are two faces to look out for as they continue the short legacy of Invicta Racing in 2025.
Racing for this weekend commences with Free Practice at 12:05 and Qualifying 16:55 local time on Friday the 11th, whereas the Sprint Race will be held on Saturday the 12th at 17:15 local time, and Feature Race on Sunday the 13th at 14:25 local time
This is an extract taken from an article written by me at InsideF2. Please go and check out their community and the range of other talented writers that contribute to their website!
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