Roman Stanek has secured a final pole position in Formula 2 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, farewelling his time in the series on a high note.
Stanek set a flying lap of 1:36.836s, beating Aston Martin’s Jak Crawford by a mere eight hundredths of a second at the Yas Marina Circuit.
However, whilst a thrilling moment for the Czech driver, he discussed the complex emotions this achievement brought up.
At the end of this weekend, Stanek will farewell both Invicta Racing and Formula 2, as he shifts his focus to other Motorsport prospects.
Thus, securing a second pole position in 2025 evoked more than just happiness in the young driver.
“Yeah, I’m very happy,” Stanek told media including Motorsport Week.
“But at the same time, a little bit sad that I’m leaving F2 and the great team like Invicta. But yeah, it was a very good lap, the car was on the rails, and I’m very happy with it.”
Despite the emotional weight of the final round, Stanek remains focused on the task ahead: a final F2 victory.
“Starting from P1 is always good, you have the best seat in the house,” he said.
“At the same time, we’ve been struggling a little bit in the races. So yeah, just keep my head down, try to learn as much as possible starting from the past years, looking at the data, where to improve, where to save the tyres because we have to save a lot of tyres these days and try to do my best.”
A strong finish for Invicta and Stanek
The race also presents a crucial opportunity to improve his final championship standing. Ultimately, Stanek admits the current position is not where he hoped to be in 2025.
“It’s a shame that we are only P11,” he admitted.
“But I think I can still fight for P6 or P7, something like this. So let’s see, as I say, I will do my best and see where we are.”
Despite his disappointing season, Invicta remains the Teams’ Championship leaders. With Staneěk’s pole position and his team-mate Leonardo Fornaroli’s third, Invicta could claim the championship with a double podium. Both drivers are eager to claim maximum points, ending both their campaigns on a high.
“In a very good place to fight for the team’s championship,” Staněk emphasised when discussing the Constructors’ Championship.
“I think we have quite a nice advantage already now, so scoring some points will help, but of course, I want to win and I guess also Forna so the best would be P1 and P2 for us.”
The end of an era
When reflecting on his last weekend in the series, Stanek explained that the choice to leave F2 was emotional; it was the easiest decision.
“The decision was quite easy,” he admitted.
“Being four years in F2 is not very normal. And also I wasn’t able to renew or sign a contract with Invicta, which clearly is the best team.
“So it’s time to move forward for me. I would be very happy to tell you what is coming next, but I don’t know. I didn’t sign anything for next year. We are still speaking about many opportunities or many options.”
It has been an interesting ride for the 21-year-old, who labelled racing in F2 as a defining experience in his motorsport career.
“I’ve really enjoyed the three years we’ve been here, obviously racing on the same tracks as F1,” he said.
“It’s something amazing, the best tracks in the world, and it’s sad that I’m leaving, but you never know, never say never, and maybe I’m going to be here again.”
This sentiment extended to Staněk’s one-sentence summary of his time in the series. In which he did not hesitate to praise the series.
“Incredible, you know, amazing. It’s been great to race on the best tracks in the world. Nice one.”
READ MORE – Roman Stanek clinches final F2 pole of 2025 season in Abu Dhabi
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