Is Fornaroli deserving of his F3 crown? The junior racing tiers brim with talent, where lifelong karting victors and novices in single-seaters boast egos nurtured by constant triumphs. As aspirants ascend to Formula 3, the field narrows sharply, leaving just 30 spots annually for those aiming for the coveted F1 seat.
Before the season, Leonardo Fornaroli’s track record wouldn’t have marked him as a championship frontrunner. With only two victories out of 98 single-seater races, both in F4 in 2021, along with three pole positions and 15 podiums, his credentials seemed modest compared to his contemporaries.
Yet, predictions fell flat.
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Fornaroli’s unnoticed asset was his unwavering consistency and knack for incident-free finishes. He completed every race in the Formula Regional European Championship during his 2022 rookie year, missed the finish line just once in his subsequent F3 season, and maintained a flawless record in the most recent series.
The world was at shock and everyone is asking ”Is Fornaroli deserving of his F3 crown? However, His ability to accrue points also became evident. After a mixed start in FRECA, failing to score in half of the first eight races, he bounced back, missing points in only one of the next 12. Continuing with Trident in F3, he scored in 11 out of 18 races, securing 11th place overall – a commendable feat for a newcomer.
This season, he missed scoring in just two instances. He finished 11th at Imola and 12th at the Red Bull Ring sprint, starting from 24th place, his lowest grid spot, yet he amassed a total of 153 points.
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Season
“This season echoes the one from two years ago in Formula Regional, where I clinched the rookie title without a single rookie win. My consistency was key; always finishing in P2 allowed me to secure the title,” reflected the 19-year-old after a dramatic final lap overtake on Christian Mansell. This victory was further sweetened by chief rival Gabriele Mini’s disqualification, which expanded his points lead to 23..
A consistent approach to accumulating points ensured that Fornaroli, despite not claiming a race victory, secured the F3 championship.
“I had two or three solid opportunities to win races. The first was in Melbourne. Regrettably, during qualifying, I encountered a set of tyres that were not performing optimally, so we resorted to another set intended for the second race. Consequently, I started on tyres that were more worn than those of my competitors, and then Dino [Beganovic] was simply faster than me from the middle to the end of the race. Nevertheless, finishing in second place was still a positive result.
“The second chance was at Imola. The pace was exceptional, and we achieved a one-two-three finish with Trident. I didn’t have new tyres for that race, but the performance was still outstanding. When Ollie Goethe overtook me on the straight, I moved slightly more to the right than I had previously, hit an unexpected bump, and the car shut down completely, causing me to lose three positions. That was yet another significant opportunity.
“On Sunday, regrettably, I didn’t secure the win. It would have been remarkable to clinch the title without a single victory. I intend to analyze the race to understand my mistakes and avoid repeating them in the future.”
“Now that the adrenaline has run down, I’ve started to realise that Sunday’s race wasn’t perfect. I will look at it all to try to improve for the future”
Leonardo Fornaroli
Asked if there had been a moment when he consciously put the championship ahead of individual race wins, Fornaroli added: “I think after Silverstone, I said ‘OK, now to get back on top I need to be always there, even if I’m not going to win [races]’. That was the main point of the season when I completely switched my mindset.”
But while it is easy to laud the sheer consistency that Fornaroli has been able to display across the season, there will be those who question whether he has the extra edge, the extra tenth-of-a-second that separates the good drivers from the truly great.
Having gained his promotion to F2 for 2025 with Invicta, The same team that is currently managing 2023 F3 champion and F2 title contender Gabriel Bortoleto will face pressure to demonstrate that they can prevail in a single event. After all, securing a championship without a single victory is an anomaly – akin to lightning not striking the same place twice.
Fornaroli, to his credit, was quick to acknowledge this reality, expressing a keen interest in analyzing areas for improvement and avoiding past errors. When questioned about the significance of not having a race win to his name, he reflected, “Initially, I was less concerned, but as the adrenaline subsided, I realized that Sunday’s race was far from perfect. I intend to review everything to enhance my performance and secure my first victory in these categories.”
Fornaroli accepts that his performances were not perfect in 2024, but he gave away fewer points than his rivals which proved decisive
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
In the 2024 racing season, among the 12 drivers who secured victories, Mini emerged as the closest contender with a single win, while Luke Browning clinched third place with two wins, and Arvid Lindblad landed fourth with four victories. The only other competitors to finish in the top 12 without a win were Mansell in fifth and Noel Leon in tenth.
Fornaroli stated, “As you mentioned, I’m the only leading driver without a win, which proves my consistency over the others. Despite Luke, Arvid, and Gabi having more wins, I maintained greater consistency, particularly in the last three rounds, allowing me to finish ahead of them.”
This season was indeed an anomaly. Fornaroli may not have been the fastest on the grid, despite being one of only two drivers, alongside Browning, to achieve pole position more than once. However, his ability to deliver a series of strong, consistent weekends with minimal errors set him apart.
While Fornaroli might envy his rivals’ expanding collection of trophies, there’s no doubt that 30 drivers in F3 and 21 in F2 next year will be analyzing his every move from this season. Fornaroli’s F3 title was not a result of the points he gained but rather the points he didn’t lose. This is a valuable lesson for all junior drivers from a truly deserving champion.
Fornaroli has set an unusual template for winning a junior single-seater crown
Source: msn
