Roman Staněk Secures First Pole Position at the Hungaroring

Roman Staněk achieved a significant milestone in his Formula 2 career by securing his first pole position at the Hungaroring. His teammate at Invicta, Leonardo Fornaroli, closely followed him, showcasing the strong performance of the team. In a recent interview, both drivers shared insights about their impressive form and the distinct strategies they employed that enabled them to dominate the front row for the upcoming feature race.

Strong Season Performance

Throughout the ongoing season, Staněk has consistently demonstrated impressive performance during Friday sessions, managing to qualify in the top 10 on eight occasions. Notably, he has outqualified championship leader Fornaroli five times across ten rounds. As the season progresses, the Czech driver has shown a marked improvement, securing four out of five qualifying sessions ahead of his teammate and achieving podium finishes, including a feature race victory last weekend in Spa.

During a post-qualifying press conference, Staněk reflected on his progress: “I don’t think there has been something that I have changed. Since the beginning of the season, you try to work as hard as you can, especially extracting the best in every session you can, working with the team. Sometimes it doesn’t go your way, but you cannot give up. You just have to keep going because especially the F2 season is very long.”

Qualifying Session Overview

The qualifying session in Hungary commenced with Arvid Lindblad clocking a time of 1:30.319. After all drivers completed their initial push laps, Staněk took the provisional pole with an impressive lap time of 1:29.167, placing him ahead of the MP Motorsport duo of Oliver Goethe and Richard Verschoor.

In his second push lap, Staněk improved his time further by 0.060 seconds. Although other drivers, including Goethe and Verschoor, made strides in their performance, none were able to surpass either of Staněk’s lap times. At that moment, Fornaroli was the only driver yet to set a time, having opted for a different qualifying strategy.

With about ten minutes remaining in the session, Fornaroli exited the pits and, with just over 15 minutes left, completed his first flying lap in 1:28.935, temporarily placing him in provisional pole position. However, a track limits violation at the first corner nullified that lap, pushing him back to 22nd place.

Undeterred, Fornaroli managed to execute a clean lap and began his second flying lap just as other drivers following the primary qualifying strategy were leaving the pits, allowing him to avoid traffic. His second attempt earned him a fourth-place position, although it was 0.311 seconds behind Staněk’s leading time.

The Final Push

As the session continued, drivers commenced their second run of push laps with approximately nine minutes remaining. Staněk once again showcased his speed, lowering the benchmark time to 1:28.779. Jak Crawford, who had initially ended the first round in 16th place, made an impressive leap to second place on the timing board, clocking in at 1:28.952.

Staněk and Crawford were joined on the provisional second row by Luke Browning and Joshua Dürksen. With only 2:45 left on the clock, Sebastián Montoya briefly entered the fourth position with a time of 1:29.065 but lost that lap due to a track limits violation in Turn 14, which dropped him to 18th place.

Fornaroli took to the track for his final run with under five minutes remaining. As he warmed up his tires, he benefitted from a clearer track, as many drivers who had completed their runs began to head into the pits. Starting his final flying lap with just 45 seconds on the clock, Fornaroli registered a time of 1:28.925, securing him second place behind his teammate.

Team Dynamics and Strategy

Both Staněk and Fornaroli acknowledged their effective collaboration throughout the season. When discussing their different qualifying strategies, they indicated that their decisions were made independently.

“Already since free practice, I knew we were going to be strong in qualifying, especially Roman. He was very, very fast, even though he’s a bit sick!” Fornaroli stated. “I did a slightly different strategy compared to everyone else. I was almost the only one running alone on track, but it worked pretty well. With the team, we keep things simple. We don’t want to complicate matters too much, and it seems like it’s working.”

Staněk added, “It’s all about communication between the team and myself. I always provide my suggestions, and the team shares theirs, and we find the best compromise. I felt it was beneficial to start with the pack at the beginning rather than wait in the middle, which is what Leo did for his first run.”

However, he emphasized that qualifying strategies are less significant than having a clear track: “In qualifying, it doesn’t truly matter what strategy you deploy. You know the tires, especially on a track like this, will only last for one or two push laps maximum, hence having a clear track ahead is the most essential aspect.”

Final Standings and Implications

In the end, Goethe qualified sixth, with Victor Martins and Arvid Lindblad taking seventh and eighth, respectively. Alex Dunne and Pepe Martí rounded out the top ten, preparing to start from the front row in the following day’s sprint race. Verschoor, who trails Fornaroli by just three points in the championship standings, qualified in 11th place, narrowly missing out on the reversed grid by a mere 0.056 seconds.

Additionally, Rodin Motorsport faced a penalty for an unsafe release of Dunne’s car during the qualifying session. Montoya, on the other hand, received a three-place grid penalty for both races after being found guilty of impeding Kush Maini at Turn 2.

This qualifying session not only highlighted Staněk’s growing prowess in Formula 2 but also reflected the competitive spirit and strategic depth of the Invicta team. As the drivers prepare for the feature race, the anticipation builds for what promises to be an exciting showdown on the track. The combination of Staněk’s emerging talent and Fornaroli’s consistency sets the stage for a thrilling competition ahead, making fans eager to witness the unfolding drama of the Formula 2 season.