Motorsport Week spoke with Leonardo Fornaroli after his dramatic FIA Formula 3 World Championship win to discuss what the future holds for the Italian.

Picture it, Trident’s Fornaroli entered the final few corners of the F3 season in fourth place, tucked right behind Christian Mansell. Prema’s Gabriele Mini was running in second. Without the future knowledge that Mini would later be disqualified, the watching Tifosi knew only that the leading Italian driver was about to take the third-tier championship title.

That was until Fornaroli lunged to the inside of Mansell at the Parabolica corner, snatching third and with it the F3 title.

“I knew I had to overtake Chris [Mansell] in front of me to win the championship,” Fornaroli explained to Motorsport Monday. “Going to the last corner, a lot of things went through my mind. The image of me losing the championship, and I said, ‘okay, this cannot be possible, I cannot lose the championship like this, I have to invent something.’ I just prayed that they were not going to cover the inside in the last corner, then just before the breaking point they both went back. So I said, ‘this is my time, all or nothing.’ I launched it completely on the inside, luckily Chris saw me in the mirror, so it was very fair and correct to leave the space on the inside. I think there was maximum respect between each other, so I managed to take the podium and the title in the last corner. Winning the championship like this, it’s even more special, because taking it in the last corner is something you can’t describe.”

READ MORE: Leonardo Fornaroli snatches F3 title at final corner as Meguetounif takes Monza Feature win

Winning the F3 title at Monza a ‘special’ moment for Leonardo Fornaroli

It was a Hollywood moment for Fornaroli, and his crowning glory was made all the sweeter for the young Italian with it taking place at Monza. An Italian driver, winning the title for an Italian team, at the Temple of Speed…

“It’s my home track, it’s the track closest to my house,” he acknowledged. “It’s special for me, because I had my first podium in Formula 4 and first front-row start, and the support from the home crowd is amazing. Last year was amazing too, but this year was even more so, the race in front of them was super cool, and all my family was there to support me, so it was a special weekend for me. When I took pole position and when I finished race two, I saw all the people on the grandstands cheering for me, and yeah, it was amazing.”

Fornaroli’s jubilation was in stark contrast to the dejection of Prema’s Mini. Mini and Fornaroli fought for the title all season long, but the latter revealed their longstanding friendship meant the battle was built on respect.

“Outside the circuit, I have a very good relationship with Gabriele,” Fornaroli revealed. “We were teammates in karting back in 2016, then until two years ago, we were training together, sleeping together in the same room, and also now we are playing together on the computer, on the simulator, almost every evening. We are very good friends outside the track, but inside, of course, we are rivals, but every time I raced with him, we had always maximum respect. Of course, I’d race him because we were fighting for a world championship, so both of us did the maximum to finish in front of the other, but always taking in mind that we couldn’t do any bad moves to each other.”

Leonardo Fornaroli unfazed by lack of F3 race wins

Close friends fighting to the last breath on track isn’t the only thing that makes the 2024 F3 title battle unique. Remarkably, Fornaroli won the Championship without taking a single race victory. Instead, the Trident driver finished every race, finished outside the top 10 on just two occasions and took seven podiums. A consistent campaign was the winning formula for Fornaroli, who holds little regret over failing to reach the top step of a Formula 3 podium.

“Now that I won the championship, of course, I don’t care if I didn’t win any races,” he said. “The key goal of this season was to be always in the top five, top 10, trying to score as many points as possible in every race without doing any bad mistakes. Also watching [Gabriel] Bortoleto’s season of last year, he won the first two races, then he limited himself to stay always in the top five, top 10 and always scoring points. He won the championship with quite a lot of gap, so I said, ‘okay, I have to do like him.’ I think we managed to do it quite well. We finished only two Sprint races outside the points. Even if we didn’t take any wins, we managed to take the championship.”

READ MORE: F3 Champion Leonardo Fornaroli lands 2025 Invicta Racing F2 seat

Jumping into Formula 2

Just like Bortoleto, Fornaroli is jumping from an F3 title run to a FIA Formula 2 rookie campaign with Invicta Racing. Bortoleto is on course to win the title with the Invicta outfit and Fornaroli couldn’t be happier to be following the same path.

“For me, it’s amazing to be with them next year,” Fornaroli said. “Jumping from a top team in F3 to a top team in F2 is the best thing for me. Also, watching what Gabriel is doing, he spoke very well about the team. I also spent some time already with the team and I’m feeling absolutely amazing with them. When there is time to be funny, they’re funny, but when there is time to be serious, they’re very serious. It’s an amazing team and I can’t wait to work with them next year.”

Fornaroli will have to wait some time for his F2 racing debut and he had to watch on as his F3 rivals Mini, Mansell and Luke Browning all got the chance to compete at Baku in September. With Oliver Bearman stepping up in place of Kevin Magnussen at Haas for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Prema called upon Mini to deputise and he impressed, finishing third on debut. Mansell has replaced Roman Stanek for the remainder of the F2 season at Trident and he scored two top 10 results in Azerbaijan. Browning, meanwhile, has filled the vacancy left by fellow Williams Academy driver Zak O’Sullivan at ART Grand Prix and finished seventh in the Baku Feature Race.

Leonardo Fornaroli looks ahead to 2025

Fornaroli will join in on the F2 fun next year along with another talented F3 graduate in Red Bull Junior Arvid Lindblad, who has signed with Campos for 2025. The new F3 champion is among a talented crop of drivers graduating to the next level.

“I think [F2] will be like a second Formula 3 championship,” Fornaroli said. “But to race with them, it’s absolutely fun for me. I think it will be another good experience because they’re very good drivers. They gave me a hard time this year and I can’t wait to fight with them again next year. It was very interesting to see Gabriele, Christian and Luke race [in Baku] because all three had basically no experience and it was their first time in Baku. I have to say they surprised me because I think they did very well, especially in the races. I think it will be a hard challenge next year, but as I said, I can’t wait again to be back on track.

“I said congratulations to all three and Gabriele told me that the car is a bit more difficult to drive, tyre management is completely different and the approach to the race is also very different.”

With his rivals getting a head start in F2, Fornaroli is focused on his preparations.

“We have six days of testing before the race in Melbourne,” he explained. “It’s not so much, but I will give my best to get a good result and I will prepare for next season by training as much as I can. I’ll also spend some time with the engineers and with the whole team to try and prepare for next year as well as possible.”

Fornaroli has perhaps sealed one of the most memorable F3 titles in recent years and he, along with his rivals, is well poised to go on to greater success in 2025.

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2024 FIA Formula 3 World Champion Leonardo Fornaroli has secured his step up to the Formula 2 series for 2025 with Invicta Racing.

A last-lap, last-corner overtake at Monza last Sunday during the F3 feature race secured Fornaroli one of the most dramatic single-seater titles in recent memory.

The Italian’s title success was made all the more remarkable by the fact he won without taking a single race victory.

Instead, a campaign based on consistency, with seven podiums and 18 points-finishes across 20 races ensuring he not only clinched the F3 title but impressed Invicta enough to earn a call up to F2.

“I’m so happy to be able to celebrate winning the F3 championship with this news and I cannot wait to step up to F2 next season,” the outgoing Trident driver said.

“Invicta Racing has proven itself over many years to be one of the best teams in F2, including this season. I’m really excited to work with the team for the 2025 season.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank Trident for the past three years, they really are the best team in F3. To go from the best team in F3 to the best in F2 is a truly a dream come true.”

Fornaroli will get behind the wheel of Invicta’s F2 machine at the post-season test in Abu Dhabi, affording him to get acquainted with the squad currently leading the Teams’ Championship standings.

It marks the second year in succession that Invicta has snapped up the reigning F3 Champion to its squad, with 2023 title-winner Gabriel Bortoleto currently chasing the F2 Drivers’ Championship for the team.

“We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Leonardo to the team for 2025,” said Invicta Racing Team Principal, Andy Roche.

“Winning the F3 Championship is an incredible achievement for him, and I have no doubt that he’ll do a brilliant job in 2025.

“We’ve followed Leonardo’s single-seater career for a few years now and it’s clear that he’s an outstanding talent.

“Following in the footsteps of Gabriel this year, we’re thrilled to have the reigning F3 Champion join our team for the second year in succession.”

READ MORE: Leonardo Fornaroli snatches F3 title at final corner as Meguetounif takes Monza Feature win

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Leonardo Fornaroli stole the FIA Formula 3 championship on the final corner on the final lap from the clutches of Gabriele Mini in a stunning and ever-changing race, which was won by Sami Meguetounif.

In the battle of the two Italian youngsters, it looked as if Mini, in second place, would take the title, having overhauled his deficit late-on and had a buffer of Christian Mansell between himself and his countryman, but Fornaroli, who went all season without a single race win, made a desperate now-or-never move on Mansell at the Parabolica to steal glory.

Meguetounif was able to pull clear of the battle and take a deserved victory, with Alex Dunne fifth, Martinius Stenshorne sixth and Tim Tramnitz seventh.

Noel Leon came home in eighth, Laurens van Hoepen ninth and Dino Beganovic 10th.

HOW THE RACE UNFOLDED

At lights out, Fornaroli held firm from pole position and led into T1 with Dunne slotting in behind. Mari Boya needed to take action to avoid contact having dived deep, skidding along the grass as everyone else made their way through safely.

Dunne would then began to swarm all over the Trident for the rest of the opening lap, and on the run to the Parabolica, dived down the inside to take the lead. The Italian would not give it up easily, going side-by-side the MP down to the Rettifilo but conceded the place, no doubt thinking long-term and not necessarily needing to win the race.

By the end of the second lap, the front four of Dunne, Fornaroli, Meguetounif and Mini began to escape away. Dunne and Fornaroli continued their battle, with a rhythm starting to emerge, but as it did so, carnage ensued.

On the run into the Ascari chicane, title contender Luke Browning spun around, with others joining in sympathy, as Matias Zagazeta, Sophia Floersch, Cian Shields and Pitor Wisnicki came together at the exit. The Safety Car was deployed, with Browning making his way back to the pits for a new front wing.

The Safety Car came in and the end of lap six with Dunne leading away with Fornaroli looking for a way through. Mini was caught napping and dropped to fifth behind Mansell, who began to look interested. It looked disastrous for Mini, but the Italian would be given a reprieve in one single moment.

Fornaroli skipped over the kerbs at the exit of Ascari, losing ground and falling down to fifth, with Mini now fourth and leading the championship, but one lap later at the same corner, Fornaroli threw the Trident down the inside of Mini to reassert his championship lead.

The top six were now all swarming over each-other, with Dufek going off and down the Rettifilio escape road, and would be followed a lap later by Santiago Ramos, as Meguetounif took the lead off Dunne at the start of lap 10, with Mansell starting to come into play, taking second off Dunne at the Roggia chicane a lap later. Fornaroli and Mini maintained fourth and fifth, the championship as close as possible.

Further back, Sprint Race winner Tramnitz was starting to make some good progress, taking Ramos for sixth, as Mini closed the gap on Fornaroli with the race now beyond the halfway stage.

Into lap 15, and Fornaroli gave himself a gap from Mini as he took Dunne for third, the Prema now needing to bring himself back into play to keep up his title aspirations, which he would do so at the start of lap 16, taking Dunne on the outside of the entry to Rettifilo.

On lap 17, Ramos tried to take Tramnitz at Rettifilio, but locked-up and needing to take the escape road, conceded the position back, and his race would go from bad to worse in a matter of yards, as is Trident put two wheels on the grass into the Roggia as Stenshorne overtook him, spinning around and being sent to the back of the pack.

Lap 18, and Fornaroli threw it up the inside of Mansell, locking-up hugely but taking second. Mini was able to take Mansell himself, being told over radio that Fornaroli was “struggling”, the Trident’s tyres likely flat-spotted owing to the earlier lock-up, but Mansell looked to take the place back, but backed out of move, and with Fornaroli locking-up at Rettifilo again, Mini now looked to take the place from Curve Grande and all the way to the Roggia, but Fornaroli just held-on to second.

Now into the penultimate lap, Fornaroli, Mini and Mansell were separated by just a fraction, as Mini saw his moment and down the outside of the Rettifilo, taking second and the championship lead, as Fornaroli was now in the clutches of Mansell, who took third into the Roggia, with Mini desperately weaving to break the tow at the end of the lap, as the final lap began.

Mansell tried to take second off Mini into T1, but couldn’t get through. Fornaroli then dived down the inside of Mansell into the Roggia, both men going off and rejoining, but both staying in-touch with Mini, who again would weave into the Parabolica. Mini was now just one corner from the title, but knowing all he needed to do was overtake Mansell, Fornaroli made a last ditch lunge up the inside of the Australian, forcing the ART wide and taking third.

As Meguetounif could coast home to take victory, Fornaroli could follow Mini for third place, and the F3 championship in surely one of the most dramatic title finishes in recent memory.

The post Leonardo Fornaroli snatches F3 title at final corner as Meguetounif takes Monza Feature win appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Trident’s Leonardo Fornaroli is the FIA Formula 3 points leader heading into the Austria round this weekend and the Italian has said his “main focus” is to pick up “as many points as possible” between now and the end of the season at Monza.

Fornaroli leads Luke Browning with 84 points to 79 in the Drivers’ standings despite not having won a race so far in the 2024 campaign.

His ascension back to the top came about after a podium finish in the Barcelona feature race where previous points leader Gabriele Mini failed to score.

Consistency has been key to Fornaroli’s campaign and that’s his target in Austria and beyond.

“The [Barcelona] feature race was very important for me because it allowed me to score a lot of points compared to the other championship contenders,” Fornaroli told select media including Motorsport Week.

“And the main goal looking forward to the season will be again to score as many points as possible, but without throwing away all the good things we are doing now and taking all the possibilities I can take.”

Such is the competitive nature of F3 in 2024 that Arvid Lindblad became the first repeat winner of the campaign last time out at Barcelona in what was the 10th race of the season.

Fornaroli meanwhile has yet to pick up a victory, but his consistency has helped him rise above his competitors, with several of the race winners enduring inconsistency in comparison.

The F3 points leader admitted that “right now the goal is not to absolutely win every race, but to take as many points as possible even if it’s not a race win.”

Given his consistent campaign thus far, Fornaroli is the perfect person to explain why it’s so tough to achieve that in F3 this year and the Trident driver gave his take on the matter before running got underway at the Red Bull Ring.

“F3 is one of the toughest championships you can race in, so, of course, to be consistent is very tricky because you battle with very high level drivers,” he said.

“Especially also in qualifying you have to deliver a very good lap to always stay in the top five and as well in the races.”

Qualifying for the Austrian Formula 3 round commences at 14:00 local time on Friday.

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