Invicta Racing was crowned Teams’ Champions of FIA Formula 2 for the first time in its history, following a spectacular final round in Abu Dhabi.
The road to the title was a long one, and didn’t follow a straight line. It was paved with ecstatic highs as well as gruelling lows, testing the mental fortitude of the team and its drivers at every twist and turn over the course of the season.
Here’s how Invicta Racing became Teams’ Champions of F2 in 2024.
Round 1: Sakhir
A new dawn beckoned for the rebranded Invicta Racing squad at the 2024 season opener in Bahrain, and with new signings Kush Maini and Gabriel Bortoleto securing a 1-2 in qualifying, it looked to be a dream start to the campaign. That was until damage and a technical infringement meant disqualification for Kush’s car.
Starting from last on the grid, Kush climbed to an excellent 13th in the Sprint, while Gabriel made progress from his 10th place grid slot and missed out on a top five by one-tenth of a second.
First corner contact and a penalty that followed meant Bortoleto couldn’t capitalise on pole, and was on the back foot early in the Feature Race. A well-timed Safety Car brought both Invicta drivers back into the fold though, and with fresher tyres, they fought back to secure a double points finish.
It was Zane Maloney and Rodin who started in the best way possible with a double victory, but Campos also recorded two podiums. Even after one round, it was clear the competition in the Teams’ Championship was going to be intense.
Round 2: Jeddah
Keen to bounce back from Bahrain, Kush was on the pace from the off around the streets of Jeddah and secured a front-row grid slot for the Feature. Gabriel wouldn’t fare as well, clipping the wall and resigning himself to 14th on the grid for both races.
In the Sprint, both drivers were caught up in fierce battles throughout the race, hampering their progress. Maini eventually finished eighth while Bortoleto made it up to 10th.
A driveshaft problem would call an early end to Gabriel’s Feature after only a few laps. Kush, meanwhile, held a commanding lead up front and even when the alternate runners assumed the top spots, he was able to fight back up to second to take the first podium of the season, opening the team’s championship account in earnest.
Round 3: Melbourne
The pace of the yellow cars looked infamous in the early parts of qualifying down under. Kush delivered a lap good enough for fourth, but a mistake from Gabriel limited the Brazilian to ninth overall.
Launching from the front row, Bortoleto suffered a race-ending incident moments after lights out when several cars converged before Turn 1. Maini astutely navigated his way through the chaos to cross the line fourth, and a post-race penalty then elevated him to third to take his second successive podium.
For the third race in a row, Gabriel’s race ended early, this time as a result of a hydraulics failure after just six laps. Kush didn’t fare much better, having led the Feature early on, the timing of the Safety Cars worked against his strategy, and he could only manage 12th. With one podium and three non-scores, Melbourne had dealt a heavy blow to Invicta’s campaign.
Round 4: Imola
Gabriel had established himself as a shoo-in for pole long before the final runs in qualifying and eventually went fastest by over two tenths. Like many drivers, Kush fell foul of track limits and found himself 17th for both races at Imola.
A multi-car incident on Lap 1 was the story of the Sprint, and with both Invicta drivers finding a path through the carnage, they rose through the order to secure a double points finish.
Although pitstop trouble for his rivals propelled Gabriel back into contention after a poor start, the challenge of overtaking at Imola rendered him helpless to find a way past eventual winner Isack Hadjar. Still, the #10 driver secured his first F2 podium for Invicta. Limited by his grid slot, Kush made up positions late on to finish 14th.
Although Campos continued its strong Feature Race form in Italy, there was a sense that the tide was beginning to turn in the Teams’ title race.
Round 5: Monte Carlo
The importance of qualifying in the principality is a cliché in modern motor racing, and the Invicta duo found out why when Kush qualified 19th for both races and Gabriel took the ninth fastest time having brushed the barrier.
Similarly, a front-row grid slot is an enviable position in Monaco, and from second on the grid in the Sprint, Bortoleto held position through several interruptions to claim another F2 podium. Further back, Maini made early progress, but got tangled up in an incident that brought his race to an end.
In the Feature, neither Invicta driver was able to make significant progress, but Gabriel finished eighth after two impressive moves while Kush crossed the line 17th.
Round 6: Barcelona
There was little to separate the top spots in qualifying at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and a time half a tenth shy of pole placed Gabriel fourth overall. Meanwhile, Kush secured 10th and Sprint pole.
As Maini got shuffled down the order from pole, Bortoleto made significant progress and by Turn 3, the pair were battling for fourth. The #9 driver fended off his team-mate and with blistering pace, carved his way to second – his third podium of the year – while Gabriel’s fell to sixth after his tyres dropped off the dreaded cliff.
Gabriel struggled with tyre degradation once again in the Feature, putting him on a collision course with a charging Kush at the start of the penultimate lap. The pair made contact at Turn 1 and eventually finished sixth and 10th, but crucially added to the team’s points tally with a quartet of points-paying finishes.
Round 7: Spielberg
Another tight qualifying session awaited in Austria, with less than a second separating the entire field. Gabriel missed out on pole by one-tenth and would line up third, while Kush secured 10th and another Sprint pole.
Contact on Lap 1 shuffled Maini down to third as the Sprint got underway while Bortoleto made steady progress and in the race’s second half, overhauled his team-mate to finish fourth with Kush in seventh.
Spielberg’s Sunday Feature became a defining moment for Invicta and Bortoleto. Having seized the lead from Joshua Dürksen early on, the Brazilian fought his way past Pepe Martí – whose well-timed pitstop under a Virtual Safety Car had gained him the net race lead – and alternate runners in an epic charge to the top step. Maini finished 17th after a stall on the grid curtailed his efforts.
Championship momentum was truly with Invicta now; results in Styria reduced the gap to the top teams to just a handful of points.
Round 8: Silverstone
At Invicta’s home event, Gabriel qualified sixth and Kush eighth, recovering well from a rain-affected qualifying session.
As is to be expected at Silverstone, the Sprint was also affected by the weather, but the drivers in yellow remained fast and composed through the downpours and as they rounded the final corner, went side-by-side for the final podium spot. Maini took third, Bortoleto fourth and Invicta 11 valuable points.
Slick running and light rain made the Feature just as unpredictable, and opening lap contact meant Kush’s result was limited to 19th while Gabriel fought tooth and nail to finish where he started in sixth.
Campos gained some ground and took the lead at the top of the standings after a Feature win for Hadjar, but Invicta posted consistent results throughout the weekend, limiting the damage done.
Round 9: Budapest
Kush took another front row for the Budapest Sprint after qualifying ninth and Gabriel kept up his top-five form with fourth.
A split strategy on Saturday proved costly for one Invicta driver and fruitful for the other, as Bortoleto struggled to 17th on Softs while Maini finished second on the road, but a post-race penalty for Richard Verschoor then handed the Indian driver his maiden F2 victory.
Buoyed by his first win, Kush put in another impressive drive on Sunday, recovering from a poor start and battling from 13th after his stop to take seventh, while Gabriel was denied the final step of the podium on the final tour.
Another crucial, consistent weekend of scoring meant Invicta surged to the top of the standings for the first time, taking a six-point lead over Campos and nine over MP in the title race.
Round 10: Spa-Francorchamps
Spa lived up to its reputation for Kush and Gabriel in 2024, as the pair failed to score in the red flagged Sprint and the #9 driver came home in 15th in the Feature.
The saving grace of the weekend came in the Feature for Bortoleto. Having recovered from a lacklustre start, the Brazilian charged back to an excellent second. That made it nine podiums from nine rounds for Invicta and although Campos had scored more points in Belgium, the battle was closer than ever; heading into the summer break it was a tie at the top of the standings.
Round 11: Monza
A pivotal moment in the 2024 championship would take place on Italian soil, but with Kush in 15th and Gabriel 22nd after spinning out of qualifying, you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise.
Despite a decent fightback to 11th in the Sprint, Maini’s grid slot defined his weekend, finishing 15th in the Feature.
For Bortoleto, it was another story. In the Sprint, the Brazilian cut through the field to climb a whopping 14 positions, making his recovery drive look like a walk in Monza Park. He crossed the line in a dead heat for eighth with Dennis Hauger, whom he later shared the final championship point.
He followed that up with an even more remarkable drive, and a historic result in the Feature. In a first for F2, Gabriel went from last on the grid to first at the flag, fighting through the field, taking advantage of a well-timed Safety Car and going on to open a near-10-second gap to second place.
With Campos picking up five points and MP just half a point in Italy, Invicta took a lead of 20.5 points in the standings.
Round 12: Baku
A disrupted qualifying session on the streets of Baku wasn’t enough to unsettle the in-form Invicta duo, with Kush qualifying an excellent fifth and Gabriel close behind in sixth.
Unfortunately, Maini’s weekend would go downhill from there, falling backwards through the pack in the wake of a Safety Car restart in the Sprint. The Indian driver suffered a terrifying crash on the start line of the Feature, bringing his weekend to an early end.
Gabriel’s Azerbaijan weekend was consistent, if uneventful with a fifth in the Sprint and fourth – as well as fastest lap – in the Feature adding a healthy haul of points to the team’s tally. With both Campos drivers languishing outside the points in both races, that extended Invicta’s lead to 35.5 points heading into the final two rounds.
Round 13: Lusail
F2's first visit to Qatar was a mixed bag of an event for Invicta Racing, with Gabriel qualifying second and Kush in seventh.
Both drivers struggled in the Sprint, battling amongst a frenetic pack. Eventually, Gabriel brought home fifth to narrowly hang on to the points lead while contact ended Kush's race early.
In the Feature, the team's efforts were curtailed by poor timings of Safety Cars as the disruptions played against Kush's strategy and Gabriel picked up a time penalty amid the confusion. Still, the Brazilian managed to win on the road, finish third after the penalty, and retain the lead in both the Teams' and Drivers' championships ahead of the final round.
Round 14: Yas Island
Invicta and Gabriel applied the pressure to both Campos and Hadjar early in the season finale, with the Brazilian qualifying second once again with Kush a strong sixth as well.
With Hadjar a distant fifth in the Sprint and enduring a stall on the Feature Race grid, Gabriel continued his relentless consistency to bring home two second-place finishes in Abu Dhabi.
Invicta Racing: F2 Teams' Champions
In the end, Invicta Racing took 13 podiums and three victories en route to the F2 Teams' Championship, taking the title with a 34.5-point margin. Similarly, Gabriel Bortoleto's eight podiums and two Feature Race wins were enough to claim the Drivers' crown by 22.5 points.
2024 has been a historic season for Invicta Racing, becoming FIA Formula 2 Champions for the first time in its history.
READ MORE: The defining moments of Gabriel Bortoleto's Formula 2 title campaign
