McLaren’s Rising Star Leonardo Fornaroli Concludes ‘Incredible’ F2 Season with Dazzling Performance!
In a thrilling conclusion to the 2025 Formula 2 season, McLaren’s newly minted junior racer Leonardo Fornaroli showcased his extraordinary talent with a stunning third-place finish in his final qualifying session. This remarkable achievement not only solidified his status as the reigning F2 champion but also marked a triumphant entry into McLaren’s prestigious Driver Development Programme.
Arriving in the vibrant city of Abu Dhabi, Fornaroli was already basking in the glory of his championship title, a fitting culmination of a season filled with relentless determination and back-to-back championships after his F3 victory the previous year. Yet, as he prepared for the final showdown, the Italian speedster was keen to end his F2 saga on a high note.
“I’m quite happy. It was a decent session,” Fornaroli stated, reflecting on his performance. However, the path to P3 was anything but easy. A challenging free practice session had initially left him concerned about his competitiveness. “In free practice, I struggled a little bit more than usual, but I was confident going for qualifying,” he added, revealing his resilient mindset.
In a breathtaking display, Fornaroli settled his nerves with a strong first run, placing him firmly in contention for the front row. However, a late setup adjustment before the second run threw a wrench in his plans, leaving him out of sync with the rest of the grid and compromising his tire warm-up due to surrounding traffic. “We wanted to change something on the setup for set two, but we waited a little bit too much and we were off-sync with every driver,” he explained.
Despite this setback, Fornaroli surged ahead. A slight misstep in Turn 5 during his final lap cost him the chance at pole position, but he still clinched an impressive P3. “My final push wasn’t super clean. I made a little mistake in T5 which compromised the lap time, but anyway, still P3. Happy with the result,” he concluded, radiating positivity.
Entering Abu Dhabi with the weight of expectation lifted, Fornaroli spoke candidly about the pressures he faced throughout the season as the 2024 Formula 3 World Champion stepping into the shoes of the 2024 F2 champion. However, claiming the title with a race to spare relieved some of that burden. “A bit less pressure today but still I’m very focused because I want to do a good weekend and the championship with a good weekend,” he asserted, displaying his competitive spirit.
With Roman Staněk on pole and Fornaroli in third, the duo from Invicta are well-positioned in the battle for the Team Championship, where every point counts. “It’s a nice starting point for the weekend,” he acknowledged. “We have a little bit of a gap compared to the team that is in P2, but still, we don’t have to relax because the races are unpredictable and everything can happen. Roman and I, I’m sure, will give everything in the races.”
As the season drew to a close, Fornaroli took a moment to reflect on his journey. He expressed immense pride in his qualifying performances, having never started outside the top 10 since the season opener in Melbourne. “It has been a very good year,” he emphasized. “I really enjoyed this last qualifying in F2 with a little bit less pressure. I tried to enjoy it even more.”
When pressed to summarize his season in one sentence, the rookie found it challenging. “One sentence only?” he pondered. “Yeah. It’s, I mean, there are a lot of sentences that can sum up the season. Emotional, super, incredible. I mean, lots of things happened, but it has been an amazing year.”
As Fornaroli embarks on this exciting new chapter with McLaren, fans and analysts alike eagerly await what this talented young driver will achieve in the future. The world of motorsport is buzzing with anticipation as Fornaroli prepares to make his mark on the racing world!
