Leonardo Fornaroli finally tasted Formula 2 victory on Saturday at Silverstone, producing a composed and commanding drive to win the Sprint Race from reverse-grid pole—his first win in the championship.
The Invicta Racing driver may have briefly lost the lead at the start to Kush Maini, but he wasn’t rattled. A bold move around the outside of Copse on Lap 1 restored his advantage, and from there, Fornaroli never looked back.
As the race settled in, the Italian gradually built a margin out front, managing his tyres smartly while the pack squabbled behind. By the time the chequered flag waved, he had a lead of over six seconds, delivering not only a personal milestone but Invicta Racing’s second win of the season.
Behind him, Sebastián Montoya carved his way through the field from sixth on the grid to finish second for PREMA Racing. A measured drive saw him pressure Maini for much of the race before finally making the move stick at Stowe on Lap 15. Montoya also claimed the fastest lap on Lap 20, securing the bonus point to cap a superb performance.
Roman Stan?k made it a double podium for Invicta Racing, muscling past Maini with a decisive move on the penultimate lap to grab third. The Czech driver had spent several laps tucked under the DAMS Lucas Oil driver’s rear wing and eventually found his way through in the dying stages.
Maini, who had led into Turn 1, settled for fourth after a valiant defensive display. He had spent much of the race fending off both Montoya and Stan?k while trying to stay in DRS range of Fornaroli—a task that eventually proved too tall.
Further back, Joshua Duerksen continued his impressive rookie campaign with a strong P5 finish for AIX Racing, just pipping Jak Crawford across the line by a thousandth of a second in a thrilling photo finish. Luke Browning came home seventh, recovering from contact with Victor Martins late in the race. The pair tangled at Luffield during a heated scrap, with Martins falling out of the points as a result and finishing ninth.
Richard Verschoor collected the final point in eighth, a solid result that extends his lead at the top of the championship standings. The Dutchman now holds 115 points, with Fornaroli climbing to second on 96 following his Silverstone triumph.
Elsewhere, the race was not without drama. Alexander Dunne retired following a collision with Gabriele Minì, who was later handed a 10-second penalty for the incident. The clash ended Dunne’s charge and denied him any chance of points on home soil.
The result also tightens the fight in the Teams’ standings. Campos Racing still lead the way on 146 points, but both MP Motorsport (127) and Invicta Racing (125) are within striking distance heading into Sunday’s Feature Race.
The Silverstone Feature Race gets underway on Sunday at 11:05 local time. Can Fornaroli double up, or will Martins and Dunne strike back from the front row.
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