Roman Stanek joins Invicta Racing having secured his first FIA Formula 2 victory in Melbourne last year, but what path did he take to get to the grid of one of the world’s most competitive single-seater championships? What experiences shaped him along the way and how does he get the best out of himself both on and off the track? Find out all this and more as we get to know Invicta Racing in 2025.
Can you put your finger on a single element that made the difference in Melbourne? Was there one thing that got you that first F2 win?
I had to defend with everything I had. I didn't have another option. But what really helped me was the reverse grid, so I started on pole for the Sprint Race. To be honest, it was a hard race because I had to fend off some great drivers in competitive cars. I knew that my potential was much better. That bothered me because I saw the other cars were faster, so all I could do was defend. I couldn't attack. But I’m not scared to go hard on defending, and a win is a win so it’s still a nice feeling. I said I’m either going to crash or I’ll try to win because I already knew that the guy who won on track had a penalty, so I just had to hold on for P2.
Even if it wasn’t under normal circumstances, what did it mean to take the Czech flag to Formula 2 victory?
I love my country, so it meant a lot. Obviously, I had some wins in Formula 3 already, but if something isn’t working and you feel like you didn’t extract the maximum, it isn’t as satisfying. Of course, it was nice to see on my social media things like ‘the Czech minister of defence’ so it was still a lot of fun.
Tell us a bit about your early days riding motocross. Did that lead you to karting or were the two separate?
It all started with my grandfather, because he spent a lot of time with me and my brothers, and he was this crazy grandfather. My mother was always fighting with him saying he was too dangerous. He’d tow me behind the car on a sledge when I was three years old! And then he got me a motocross bike, then a buggy; everything that had an engine I already knew when I was five. I could drive a car when I was maybe six or seven.
So, it all started there, and I started to do motocross because there was a track close to my house. I wanted to race but I didn't because I was still small, so I was only practicing. Practicing a lot though, almost every day. When I was eight, they said I had to stop because it was too dangerous, so I stopped. At that time, I was trying everything, playing tennis, football and I didn’t like them as much. I just did them because I wanted to do something.
When I was 10, that’s when me and my two brothers started go-karting. I was the best out of the three of us, so I was the only one to keep going, because it was very hard financially for my dad.
Do you think there are any transferable skills across the two disciplines? Does your low-grip experience from motocross give you an upper hand in the wet? And do you still ride?
I would say a little bit. I'm quite good in the rain, I like the damp conditions and the wet. But that comes from the way I grew up too I think, on the snow, so I think that's something that maybe helps.
I wanted to get a motorbike last year. I tried with my friend, just did a small lap, and I loved it. But I can't because of the racing. So maybe next year, or in 10 years. I hope it’s as late as possible when I’m no longer a racing driver.
How would you sum up your new team-mate? What are the main things you think of when you think of Leonardo (Leo)?
Leo is a very nice guy and he's also a very quick driver, because obviously he won the Formula 3 championship. That's almost the same level as Formula 2 because it’s the same drivers moving up. He's a very competitive guy and I think we will be able to push each other next year.
Not so much now, but when I was in F2 and he was in F3, it felt a bit like he was my little brother. For example, we were in Melbourne in 2023 and we were both jet-lagged. I said come up to my room so we ordered some food, watched movies, and then we went to train together in the middle of the night because we couldn't sleep. So we have a good relationship. Of course, when it comes to racing it's so different.
READ MORE: Getting to know Leonardo Fornaroli
You’ve only been with Invicta Racing for a short time, but have there been any differences you’ve noticed compared to other teams you’ve worked with?
I don't like to compare because every team is great in their own way, but the mechanics and the engineers are a really nice bunch of guys. You can really feel that there is good chemistry in the team. Also, the way they accepted me was very nice. I come from a small country and the Czech Republic is not very popular, but they made me feel very welcome straight away, so that shows how much respect they have no matter who you are.
What are the benefits of cycling and running for you? Do they help you stay sharp or is it more for unwinding?
They are my favourite parts of training because I do it to stay sharp for F2, but I also do it because I love sports. I couldn't live without sports. It's something that makes me feel good. It's like a coffee; if I don't have it once a day, I don't feel good. I wake up, open my eyes, it's sunny outside and I say I have to go running because I have to use the opportunity.
If we’re talking about those things, my favourite is cycling because I go out with my friends on the bike. I just love it because it's freedom and it's a challenge. You can also compare the data with your friends and say you did this or that better than they did. I think if I wasn’t a racing driver, I would be a professional cyclist.
Meditation and visualization are important parts of your preparation. How do they give you an edge?
The mind cannot feel the difference if you think about something or if you’re doing something. I've been meditating for about three years and it’s not like you have to do it all day, every day. For example, I did 20 minutes a day for two weeks before the test last year. I was there with Invicta for the first time, I landed in Abu Dhabi, I jumped in the car, and I already knew how everything would feel. None of it was a shock. It was like I’d been driving for the last five days because I’d been visualizing the track, how my neck might hurt a bit in the corners and speaking with Colin my engineer.
I also visualized how the first date with my girlfriend would go and that helped me a lot too, because it didn’t feel like a new situation, so I wasn’t as nervous. So, I do it for sport obviously, but I also do it so I can experiment with life. It’s boring to sit and do nothing so even if it’s not going to work, if I can explore new things and improve myself, I just want to try different things.
Are there any circuits on the calendar that you feel like you've got unfinished business with?
I think it's got to be Jeddah and Monaco. In Jeddah, I made a mistake on my quali lap and that would’ve been a very good lap. In Monaco, I was going for pole and I crashed into the wall, so my suspension was bent and I had to box. I'm really looking forward to going back to those tracks, especially Jeddah because you get a lot of adrenaline there. It's unique and you just go so fast. You watch the onboard and it’s like nothing, but when you are in the car it's another story.
Do you have a target in mind, something you want to achieve this season?
For all 22 drivers, the ambition of course is to win the championship, otherwise we wouldn't be racing. My goal is to make the best of the opportunity I have. I am with a very good team, and I know that I can be very competitive. And if I combine those things, I really believe that it's going to be good. Obviously, the car must be good and we have to have some luck, but if we do our best and things go our way we can think about title contention. As long as I know I did my best I think I’ll be satisfied. You can have bad luck, you can finish eighth in the championship, but if you know you gave it everything then you can’t be too disappointed.
