Invicta Racing are home to a championship contender in Formula 2 in 2024 in the form of Gabriel Bortoleto.
The Brazilian made the step up to Formula 2 this year after winning the Formula 3 title with Trident the year prior, beating Zak O’Sullivan by 45 points.
Bortoleto joined Invicta – who have fully taken over the operation at Virtuosi Racing – with Kush Maini in 2024, and has immediately taken the championship by storm.
The 19-year-old, who is part of the McLaren Driver Development Programme, has claimed two wins thus far and currently leads the drivers’ standings as the season nears its climax.
And with their success in 2024, commentator Chris McCarthy thinks Invicta can do the same thing in 2025.
Leonardo Fornaroli can ‘lead’ Invicta Racing to the Formula 2 championship in 2025
For next season, the team will again have the defending F3 champion in their line-up in Leonardo Fornaroli.
READ MORE: F2 drivers must ‘bite their lip’ over ‘painful’ issue which could cost Paul Aron the title
The Italian claimed the title on the final lap at the last corner at Monza as he overtook Christian Mansell for third to beat Gabriele Mini by a slim margin. It would not have mattered anyway as Mini was disqualified after the race, giving Fornaroli a much more comfortable victory of 23 points.
While the 19-year-old did not win a race in 2024, he showed brilliant consistency as he finished every race and all but two in the points, claiming five podiums.
It is not currently known who will be partner the Italian at Invicta in 2025, but according to McCarthy on the InsideF2 YouTube channel, Fornaroli has the chance to ‘lead’ the team next year.
“They’re going to have Leo Fornaroli coming in as a Formula 3 driver. So, he’ll have the chance to lead that team essentially,” he said.
“It might give him the confidence boost he needs there, to try and lead a championship charge for them.
“Leo Fornaroli will be coming in as fresh champion, similar to what Gabriel Bortoleto did this year.”
Can Gabriel Bortoleto hold on to win the Formula 2 title?
Going into the final two rounds of the 2024 F2 season, Bortoleto leads the standings over Isack Hadjar by four and a half points.
After a rocky start to his F2 career, Bortoleto has only finished outside the points twice in the last 18 races and is in good form after taking the championship lead in Baku.
READ MORE: Joshua Durksen reveals ‘very strong option’ for 2025 Formula 2 drive
The same cannot be said for Hadjar, who comes into the next race in Qatar off the back of just one points finish in the last seven races; that being his fourth win of the season at Spa.
With the Frenchman in poor form and such a slim margin at the top, expect some aggressive racing in the next two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.