Virtuosi Racing

Last updated

Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Virtuosi Racing
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Invicta Racing
Virtuosi Racing Logo.png
Founded2012
Founder(s)Paul Devlin
Andy Roche
Declan Lohan
Base Attleborough, Norfolk, England
Team principal(s)Andy Roche
Current series FIA Formula 2 Championship
F4 British Championship
Former series GP2 Series
Auto GP
Current driversFIA Formula 2 Championship
Flag of India.svg 9. Kush Maini
Flag of Brazil.svg 10. Gabriel Bortoleto
F4 British Championship
Flag of India.svg 8. Kai Daryanani
Flag of South Africa.svg 14. Aqil Alibhai
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg 28. Douwe Dedecker
Website https://www.virtuosiracing.com/

Virtuosi Racing (formerly Virtuosi UK, currently racing as Invicta Racing in Formula 2) is a British racing team currently competing in FIA Formula 2 and the F4 British Championship. The team previously raced in the Auto GP series, in addition to running the Russian Time outfit in Formula 2 and its predecessor GP2 Series from 2015 to 2018. With the withdrawal of Russian Time, the team assumed its new name UNI-Virtuosi Racing for the 2019 Formula 2 season. A partnership with watch company Invicta resulted in a further name change for 2023, followed by a partial takeover in 2024. [1] [2]

Contents

History

In 2012, Paul Devlin and Andy Roche approached businessman Declan Lohan for financial backing and Virtuosi UK team was founded at Carleton Rode, Norfolk in order to participate in the Auto GP. [3] The team signed GP2 Series driver Pål Varhaug. [4] His team-mates in the first rounds were European F3 Open driver Matteo Beretta and Formula Renault 3.5 Series driver Sten Pentus, before they was replaced by Auto GP veteran Francesco Dracone. [5] [6] Varhaug won feature race at Sonoma and reverse-grid races at Monza and Hungaroring, finishing as runner-up in the drivers' standings and bringing fourth place in the teams' standings. [7] [8]

For 2013, the team signed FIA European Formula 3 Championship graduate Andrea Roda. [9] He was partnered by Max Snegirev, who previously raced for Campos Racing. Also British team supported Comtec by Virtuosi entry. [10] Unlike the previous season Virtuosi drivers even failed to achieve podium finish and downgraded to seventh in the teams' standings.

The squad prolonged Andrea Roda for 2014 campaign. [11] Also the team expanded to three cars for two opening rounds, fielding Richard Gonda and Sam Dejonghe. [12] At Imola, second car was occupied by returnee Varhaug but he was replaced at Spielberg by Tamás Pál Kiss, who left Zele Racing. [13] [14] Also at Spielberg Roda won a reverse-grid race, it was first win for Virtuosi since 2012. [15] Kiss collected another two wins for the team at Nürburgring and Estoril. [16] [17] The team finished as runner-up in the teams' standings.

In 2015, the team signed German Formula Three driver Nikita Zlobin. [18] In addition the team replaced iSport International in the managing of the Russian Time team in the GP2 Series. [19]

UNI-Virtuosi's Luca Ghiotto racing at the 2019 Spielberg Formula 2 round FIA F2 Austria 2019 Nr. 8 Ghiotto.jpg
UNI-Virtuosi's Luca Ghiotto racing at the 2019 Spielberg Formula 2 round

On 4 December 2018, it was announced Virtuosi would replace the outgoing Russian Time outfit in the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2019 under the name UNI-Virtuosi. [20] The following day, the team confirmed Guanyu Zhou as its first driver. [21] The next day Luca Ghiotto filled the remained slot in the Virtuosi's line-up. [22] The team finished in second place in the Teams' Championship its first season as Virtuosi, with Ghiotto taking four wins.

For 2020 the team retained Zhou as its first driver, whilst replacing the outgoing Ghiotto with Callum Ilott. [23] The team repeated its runners-up finish in Teams' Championship from the previous year, again with four wins.

In 2021, Zhou was once again retained by the team, this time joined by Felipe Drugovich in the other car. [24] For the third year in a row the team finished in second place in the Teams' Championship, once again with four wins, all scored by Zhou. On 20 October, Virtuosi Racing announced its expansion to Formula 4 racing by entering the F4 British Championship from the 2022 season onwards. [25]

With Zhou graduating to Formula 1 in 2022 with Alfa Romeo, his seat was filled by Jack Doohan, with Marino Sato replacing Drugovich. [26] Despite Doohan taking three wins in his rookie season the team could only finish in seventh place in the Teams' Championship.

The 2023 season saw Doohan remain with the team, this time joined by Belgian Amaury Cordeel. [27]

Current series results

FIA Formula 2 Championship

YearChassisEngineTyresDriversRacesWinsPolesF. LapsPodiumsD.C.PtsT.C.Pts
2019 Dallara
F2 2018
Mecachrome
V634T V6 t
P Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Zhou Guanyu 2201257th1402nd347
Flag of Italy.svg Luca Ghiotto 2242293rd207
2020 Dallara
F2 2018
Mecachrome
V634T V6 t
P Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Zhou Guanyu 2411466th151.52nd352.5
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Callum Ilott 2435062nd201
2021 Dallara
F2 2018
Mecachrome
V634T V6 t
P Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Zhou Guanyu 2241193rd1832nd288
Flag of Brazil.svg Felipe Drugovich 2100048th105
2022 Dallara
F2 2018
Mecachrome
V634T V6 t
P Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Doohan 2833466th1287th134
Flag of Japan.svg Marino Sato 28000022nd6
2023 Dallara
F2 2018
Mecachrome
V634T V6 t
P Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Doohan 2532353rd1685th176
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Amaury Cordeel 26000020th8
2024 Dallara
F2 2024
Mecachrome
V634T V6 t
P Flag of India.svg Kush Maini 24111511th741st*243.5*
Flag of Brazil.svg Gabriel Bortoleto 2422251st169.5

In detail

(key)

YearDrivers12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728T.C.Points
2019 BHR
FEA
BHR
SPR
BAK
FEA
BAK
SPR
CAT
FEA
CAT
SPR
MCO
FEA
MCO
SPR
LEC
FEA
LEC
SPR
RBR
FEA
RBR
SPR
SIL
FEA
SIL
SPR
HUN
FEA
HUN
SPR
SPA
FEA
SPA
SPR
MNZ
FEA
MNZ
SPR
SOC
FEA
SOC
SPR
YMC
FEA
YMC
SPR
2nd347
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Zhou Guanyu 10F4Ret10345343683P899CCRet41053F8
Flag of Italy.svg Luca Ghiotto 2P19RetF4P2DSQRetRet122211548CC2154F161
2020 RBR
FEA
RBR
SPR
RBR
FEA
RBR
SPR
HUN
FEA
HUN
SPR
SIL
FEA
SIL
SPR
SIL
FEA
SIL
SPR
CAT
FEA
CAT
SPR
SPA
FEA
SPA
SPR
MNZ
FEA
MNZ
SPR
MUG
FEA
MUG
SPR
SOC
FEA
SOC
SPR
BHR
FEA
BHR
SPR
BHR
FEA
BHR
SPR
2nd352.5
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Zhou Guanyu 17P F1434108F2F997314735NCRetF58114524
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Callum Ilott 19558P25Ret1P65P810Ret6P1126372P16510
2021 BHR
SP1
BHR
SP2
BHR
FEA
MCO
SP1
MCO
SP2
MCO
FEA
BAK
SP1
BAK
SP2
BAK
FEA
SIL
SP1
SIL
SP2
SIL
FEA
MNZ
SP1
MNZ
SP2
MNZ
FEA
SOC
SP1
SOC
SP2
SOC
FEA
JED
SP1
JED
SP2
JED
FEA
YMC
SP1
YMC
SP2
YMC
FEA
2nd288
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Zhou Guanyu 731P1155F3Ret13Ret111282DNSC61784812
Flag of Brazil.svg Felipe Drugovich 16149214314104476Ret1713DNSCDNS4105253
2022 BHR
SPR
BHR
FEA
JED
SPR
JED
FEA
IMO
SPR
IMO
FEA
CAT
SPR
CAT
FEA
MCO
SPR
MCO
FEA
BAK
SPR
BAK
FEA
SIL
SPR
SIL
FEA
RBR
SPR
RBR
FEA
LEC
SPR
LEC
FEA
HUN
SPR
HUN
FEA
SPA
SPR
SPA
FEA
ZAN
SPR
ZAN
FEA
MNZ
SPR
MNZ
FEA
YMC
SPR
YMC
FEA
7th134
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Doohan 1010PRet9F11Ret62P F7F4111319319F451Ret219Ret6RetP7Ret
Flag of Japan.svg Marino Sato 1611817161117191510178Ret15Ret169Ret1515121519Ret11111915
2023 BHR
SPR
BHR
FEA
JED
SPR
JED
FEA
ALB
SPR
ALB
FEA
BAK
SPR
BAK
FEA
MCO
SPR
MCO
FEA
CAT
SPR
CAT
FEA
RBR
SPR
RBR
FEA
SIL
SPR
SIL
FEA
HUN
SPR
HUN
FEA
SPA
SPR
SPA
FEA
ZAN
SPR
ZAN
FEA
MNZ
SPR
MNZ
FEA
YMC
SPR
YMC
FEA
5th176
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Doohan 111672Ret817156FRet567434101P F51F6DNS9661P
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Amaury Cordeel 211519201213919RetNC1719151716Ret1921Ret15168Ret81716
2024 BHR
SPR
BHR
FEA
JED
SPR
JED
FEA
ALB
SPR
ALB
FEA
IMO
SPR
IMO
FEA
MCO
SPR
MCO
FEA
CAT
SPR
CAT
FEA
RBR
SPR
RBR
FEA
SIL
SPR
SIL
FEA
HUN
SPR
HUN
FEA
SPA
SPR
SPA
FEA
MNZ
SPR
MNZ
FEA
BAK
SPR
BAK
FEA
LUS
SPR
LUS
FEA
YMC
SPR
YMC
FEA
1st*243.5*
Flag of India.svg Kush Maini 13782P312814Ret17267173191713151115F9DSQ
Flag of Brazil.svg Gabriel Bortoleto 65P10RetRetRet62P28510414616F41028154F

* Season still in progress.

F4 British Championship

YearCarDriversRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPointsD.C.T.C.
2022 Tatuus F4-T421 Flag of South Korea.svg Michael Shin 301018711th5th
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Edward Pearson300008112th
2023 Tatuus F4-T421 Flag of South Africa.svg Aqil Alibhai301001698th6th
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Douwe Dedecker300002621st
Flag of India.svg Kai Daryanani29000824th
2024 Tatuus F4-T421 Flag of Hungary.svg Martin Molnár30000117.58th5th
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Maxwell Dodds2600043.516th
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Yuhao Fu300002718th

Timeline

Current series
FIA Formula 2 Championship 2017–present
F4 British Championship 2022–present
Former series
Auto GP 2012–2015
GP2 Series 2015–2016

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References

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