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]
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]
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.
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]
^Mills, Peter (13 April 2012). "Sergio Campana leads Marrakech Auto GP practice". Autosport. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 13 April 2012. Norwegian Varhaug has a new team-mate at Virtuosi UK this weekend. Former Euro Series 3000 veteran and IndyCar starter Franceso Dracone replaces Formula Renault 3.5 race winner Sten Pentus.
