All images ©: Dutch Photo Agency
Invicta Racing wrapped up the 2025 FIA Formula 2 season in Abu Dhabi by securing back-to-back Teams’ Championships, with Roman Stanek taking pole and a P2 finish to end the year on a high
In the final Qualifying session of the season, both drivers were quick to take to the track and set their initial flying laps.
After their first efforts, Leonardo sat in P3 with Roman P6. Roman improved to P4 on his next lap, but it was deleted for exceeding track limits, dropping him back to P16.
Leonardo continued to improve and, after other drivers had times deleted for track limits, moved up to P2. Roman set another lap that moved him to P5 before both drivers pitted.
Returning to the track on fresh tyres, Roman put in a superb effort that sent him to the coveted P1 spot. He attempted another lap but couldn’t improve further.
Other drivers were still setting their final laps, but none were able to knock the Czech driver off the top spot, confirming his second pole of the year.
Leonardo was among the last to start a flying lap before the chequered flag. Despite encountering traffic in the final corners, he managed to climb to P3.
2025 Formula 2 YAS ISLAND Qualifying RESULTS
Roman Stanek: P1 (1:36.836)
Leonardo Fornaroli: P3 (1:36.970)
Starting from P10 and P8 respectively, both Roman and Leonardo opted for the Medium compound tyre.
When the lights went out, both had to avoid the slow-moving Sebastian Montoya on the grid, with Leonardo in particular losing a number of places.
At the conclusion of Lap 1, Roman and Leonardo were running in P10 and P11, with Leonardo fending off pressure from Richard Verschoor behind.
After a brief Virtual Safety Car period on Lap 8 to recover John Bennett’s stricken car from the side of the track, race conditions resumed fairly quickly.
The two Invicta Racing drivers retained their positions for most of the race before Roman caught Gabriele Mini on Lap 19, making a move for P9 into Turn 5 before the Italian retook the position at Turn 9.
This allowed Leonardo to close the gap behind his team-mate and attempt a move of his own, but he couldn’t make it stick.
In the final laps, Verschoor closed up behind Leonardo, with the two going side by side before the Italian was forced to take the shortcut between Turn 6 and 7 to avoid contact with the Dutch driver.
At the chequered flag, Roman and Leonardo crossed the line in P10 and P11, taking the fight for the Teams’ Championship into the final race of the season.
After the race, it was decided by the stewards that Leonardo had gained a lasting advantage when he went off the track in the battle with Verschoor.
The Italian was handed a 10-second time penalty, which dropped him down to P17 in the final classification.
2025 Formula 2 YAS ISLAND Sprint Race RESULTS
Roman Stanek: P10 (0 points)
Leonardo Fornaroli: P17 (0 points)
Roman began the Feature Race from pole on the Supersoft compound, while Leonardo opted for the alternate strategy from P3. The Czech driver made a strong start and immediately built a gap, while Leonardo was slower away and dropped to P4 after Hitech’s Dino Beganovic dived into Turn 1.
Leonardo briefly slipped to P5 when Joshua Dürksen went around the outside at Turn 9, but moved back up to P4 shortly afterwards as Jak Crawford pitted to serve a penalty. A Safety Car was then deployed on Lap 2 for a collision, bunching the field until racing resumed on Lap 6.
Roman controlled the restart well and stayed ahead of Beganovic before both dived into the pits on Lap 8, promoting Leonardo to P2.
A rapid stop released Roman ahead of the Hitech, but the pair battled immediately on the out lap, with Beganovic taking the place on the back straight. As they fought, both were undercut by Dürksen, putting Roman into a net P3.
With the early pit-stops cycling through, Leonardo assumed the race lead, with Arvid Lindblad closing the gap before a Virtual Safety Car was deployed on Lap 9, which escalated into a full Safety Car on Lap 12.
At the Lap 15 restart, Leonardo locked up into the final corner but held onto the lead. Roman continued to pick off cars who had yet to stop, climbing into the top ten.
A multi-lap fight then developed between Leonardo and Lindblad from Lap 17, with the two swapping positions several times between Turns 6 and 9. Leonardo lost the place for good on Lap 22, dropping to P2, before Crawford overtook him on Lap 26 to drop the Italian to P3.
Still hoping for a late Safety Car, Leonardo extended his stint deep into the race, but with no race neutralisation forthcoming, he pitted on Lap 31 and rejoined in P13.
As the remaining runners made their stops, Roman rose to P3 and then spent the closing laps fending off Gabriele Minì, holding firm to take P3 at the flag. A time penalty for Beganovic ahead promoted him to P2, while Leonardo finished P11 after a strong but ultimately unrewarded strategic gamble.
The result sealed the FIA Formula 2 Teams’ Championship for Invicta Racing, confirming back-to-back double title-winning campaigns.
2025 Formula 2 YAS ISLAND FEATURE Race RESULTS
Roman Stanek: P2 (18 points)
Leonardo Fornaroli: P11 (0 points)
LEONARDO FORNAROLI
"It was a challenging weekend, and we didn’t get the results we had hoped for in the races after a positive Qualifying, but securing the Teams’ Championship feels great. We’ve all worked hard this year, and ending the season this way is very rewarding. I’m very thankful to everyone at Invicta Racing, and achieving both titles is a deserved reward for them."
READ MORE: Getting to know Leonardo Fornaroli
ROMAN STANEK
"I’m really happy with how this event played out. Qualifying went really well and set the tone for the weekend. I pushed hard in the Feature Race to help secure the Teams’ Championship it was amazing to finish the season on the podium and contribute to back-to-back titles for the team. A huge thank you to everyone at Invicta Racing – they truly deserve it."
READ MORE: Getting to know Roman Stanek
JAMES ROBINSON, TEAM PRINCIPAL
“The team has risen to the challenge this weekend, and we’ve come away having achieved our goal of winning the Teams’ Championship. Roman delivered a superb pole lap and it was great for his side of the garage to finish the season with a podium as well. It feels like a very fitting way to end an excellent campaign, and the entire team deserves it. This outcome is a culmination of everyone’s hard work over the course of a long and competitive season, and I am incredibly proud to have been a part of it.”
READ MORE: Getting to know James Robinson
2025 Formula 2 STANDINGS
Invicta Racing: P1 (316 points)
Leonardo Fornaroli: P1 (211 points)
Roman Staněk: P10 (105 points)
