Leonardo Fornaroli is hitting peak form in Formula 2, claiming a second consecutive sprint race win — this time at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The Italian driver, who had waited over three years for his second career victory, now finds himself firmly in championship contention with two wins in just three weeks.
Starting third on the grid, Fornaroli made an explosive launch, getting past both Amaury Cordeel and Oliver Goethe before reaching the Les Combes chicane. That early move set the tone for what became a chaotic afternoon in Belgium.
The opening lap was marred by a dramatic collision involving championship leader Richard Verschoor, Jack Crawford, and Luke Browning. Verschoor ran wide at Turn 1, crowding the others and ultimately spinning at Eau Rouge. Browning was forced into the gravel and retired, while Verschoor’s own race ended moments later. The incident brought out the first of three safety cars.
Once racing resumed, Fornaroli managed the restart perfectly and began pulling away. Cordeel held second temporarily, but Victor Martins was charging through the field. Martins passed Goethe and quickly hunted down Cordeel, initiating a bold move around the outside at Les Combes on lap 12. The two made contact, and Cordeel spun into the gravel, ending his race and bringing out another safety car.
As the field bunched up again, several drivers opted to pit for soft tyres, hoping to gain an edge in the final laps. Fornaroli, Martins, Goethe, Gabriele Minì, and Kian Shields chose to stay out, retaining the front-running positions.
At the restart, Minì overtook Goethe for third, while Fornaroli and Martins remained steady up front. The trio formed a tight DRS train that made it nearly impossible for the soft-tyre runners behind to break through. Pepe Martí, Roman Staněk, and Alex Dunne crossed the line in fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively. Ayumu Iwasa claimed the final point in eighth.
The race came to an early conclusion when Sami Meguetounif stopped on the Kemmel Straight with a mechanical issue, prompting the third and final safety car. The timing of the caution meant that those on fresher tyres had no chance to mount a late charge.
Despite retiring, Richard Verschoor retains his place at the top of the standings with 122 points. Jack Crawford remains second, six points adrift. Fornaroli’s recent surge moves him into third place overall, just eight points off the lead heading into the weekend’s feature race.
Sunday’s 26-lap feature race at Spa is expected to provide more drama, with a mandatory pit stop in play. Alex Dunne will start from pole, with Ayumu Iwasa alongside him on the front row.
