Luke Browning – Leonardo Fornaroli: Who will take the lead in Baku?

And if finally, the last two occurrences of the season became decisive in Formula 2 ? A year after the duel between Isack Hadjar and Gabriel Bortoleto in the fight for the championship title, two drivers still stand out, even though many more dreamed of winning the title during the year. Although mathematically, it's not all over yet for Richard Verschoor (MP Motorsport) in particular, it seems that the hopes of Alexander Dunne, or Arvid Lindblad, big prospects in the category, are reasonably no longer on the agenda.

With 174 points, Leonardo Fornaroli (Invicta) already has four wins, including sprints and main races, more than any other rider at this stage. The championship leader, paradoxically, started winning from the eighth round at Silverstone, but has seemed unstoppable since then, already boasting a 21-point lead over his nearest rival.

“I won the sprint race, the pace was very fast, he commented after his home meeting at the Monza Autodrome. The car was also performing really well, I'm really happy with it. But today wasn't my best drive, let's say. The race was a bit chaotic, and I could have managed things better. With everything going on around me, I was trying to avoid damage, but I suffered a bit in the first stint. My start wasn't very good either, and it was a bit messy overall. But we still finished fifth. I was hoping for a bit better, but it's still okay."

Can Browning worry Fornaroli?

Taking advantage of the velocity of its car wearing yellow, Leonardo Fornaroli has indeed four victories in four separate meetings. However, the 2024 champion of Formula 3 who had not won for over three years, is clearly obliged to maintain this pace. Behind him, Luke Browning (Hitech) had his first ever Formula 2 victory at Monza, but is above all methodical, and above all consistent.

“The main thing is to score points, but it’s also very nice to win a trophy and be able to say that I’m a winner in Formula 2, punctuated the Briton after his successThis podium is really special. I think it's one of the best of the year. Reaching this stage today was a really special experience. I knew I wanted to win, but not at any cost. I just wanted to get the best possible result.

Present on seven podiums since the start of the season, fifth on average at the finish of the main races, Luke Browning is a model of consistency, where his occasionally faster rivals all display more disparate variables. "My goal from the beginning has been to avoid trouble in this championship, he added with a form of wisdom. It's so difficult. I've had some good results so far in the Main Races and I hope it lasts for a long time."

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Experience or momentum for the Formula 2 crown?

Unlike Leonardo Fornaroli, who will only be on the Formula 2 grid in 2024 for the final round in Abu Dhabi, the protégé of the industry Williams had the opportunity to take part in the last three weekends after the end of the Formula 3 season. For his first with ART GP in the antechamber of the Formula 1, Luke Browning had just discovered Baku, capable of rising to seventh place in the main race without prior experience.

In short, between Luke Browning's superior distance, his unfailing consistency, and the suddenly rediscovered speed of Leonardo Fornaroli, carried by Invicta, uncertainty remains. Luke Browning could make the most of a weekend marked by incidents, while the long start-finish straight would offer the Italian leader a notable advantage. Cautious, the Briton could also stick to his policy of small steps, while the end-of-season champion would clearly not be recruited by a Formula 1 team. In Azerbaijan, will caution be the mother of safety?