Invicta Team Principal Robinson ‘unbelievably’ happy after Fornaroli’s maiden win

Invicta Racing Team Principal James Robinson has lavished praise on his squad after they achieved a double podium finish in the Silverstone Sprint Race, with Leonardo Fornaroli claiming his maiden Formula 2 win.

Fornaroli started from pole but lost the lead to DAMS Lucas Oil driver Kush Maini on the run to Turn 1. However, the Italian rookie pulled off an incredible overtake only moments later, retaking the position on the run to Copse.

From there on, Fornaroli managed his pace, tyres and the gap to rest of the field, before crossing the line to take his first win in four years.

SPRINT RACE: Impressive Fornaroli seals maiden F2 victory at Silverstone

“Unbelievably so,” said Robinson when asked how happy he was for Fornaroli. “We tried not to put too much pressure on it, and we tried to dismiss any of the talk around he hasn’t won a race and XYZ.

“But we all know that for him and for the team, there was a big monkey on his back, so to get that, I couldn’t be happier for him.

“It wasn’t a great start, but he quickly got on the front foot and put a really clean move in, and from there, we were all actually calm on the pit wall, it never really looked in doubt.

“He managed the gap really well and got out of DRS very quickly. There was a little part of the race where it starts to get a bit dicey, but towards the last third when the deg started to show, he had a comfortable margin.”

It was a great day all around for Invicta, as Roman Stanek joined Fornaroli on the podium after making a move past Maini on the penultimate lap for P3. For Robinson, it was good see the Czech driver’s hard work be rewarded.

“I’m really happy for Roman as well,” added Robinson. “It’s a great that he is really starting to bare the fruits of the work that he is putting in.

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“We saw it from the start. I did a couple of interviews at the start of the season and I said how impressed we were with Roman and we really are, and for various reasons the results have not really shown that.

“To go from where he was on the grid to P3, it was a really impressive drive. It was really nice for him to be on the front foot during the race, because he has often been on the back foot. So great to see both cars on the podium.”

Assessing it from a team perspective, Robinson highlighted the camaraderie within the Invicta camp, highlighting the selfless nature of the drivers and their engineers.

“Honestly, they are two of the best drivers I’ve ever worked with,” said Robinson. “What’s so great about working with them, it’s how well they work with each other. They are really selfless in what they do, they will give each other tips and hints.

“Leo can lean on Roman’s experience in this Championship. We know how quick and talented he is, but they are really harmonious in the way they work, they are always happy to speak to the other side of the garage, and the other engineer.

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“On the pit wall as well, Leo’s engineer was cheering on Roman towards the end of the race. I know it’s a cliché to say we really are a team, but there are no truer words to say than that for this team.

“It’s a really galvanised a group of people and when one side of the garage wins, the other side is just as happy and vice versa.”

Looking ahead to the Feature Race, Stanek is set to start from fourth, while Fornaroli will line up in P10. Robinson is confident that his drivers can move forward though and score some big points.

“I think for Roman, he has a great starting position,” said Robinson. “If he can manage his tyres as well tomorrow as he did today, he can really go forwards in the race tomorrow. He has a chance to score some big points, which would help him a lot.

QUALIFYING: Martins rockets to pole in close Silverstone affair

“For Leo, the same. Obviously, he has a more difficult grid position, but we’ve seen here today that towards the end of the stint, if you manage the tyres well in the first two-thirds of the stint, it really starts to pay dividends in the final laps of the race.

"The plan is to go forward tomorrow, and if we can do that, we will be really happy.”