Audi junior Freddie Slater steps up to Formula 2 with Invicta Racing for 2027

Freddie Slater, the 18-year-old Audi Formula 1 junior who finished runner-up in the 2026 Formula 3 championship, has signed with Invicta Racing for the 2027 Formula 2 season.

Slater arrived in F3 with Trident as the reigning 2024 Italian F4 and 2025 Formula Regional European champion, having been recruited by Audi to front its new Driver Development Programme. He made an immediate impression, stringing together four consecutive feature-race podiums to seize the championship lead from sophomore Ugo Ugochukwu heading into the summer break. A quieter run of just 15 points across the final five rounds allowed Campos driver Ugochukwu to reclaim the advantage and ultimately take the title, but Slater’s eight podiums — including a victory in Hungary — secured a comfortable runner-up finish ahead of Tuukka Taponen and Taito Kato, and earned him the best rookie award despite having contested two rounds in 2025.

“I’m really excited to be stepping up to Formula 2 with Invicta Racing next year,” Slater said. “I learned a lot in Formula 3 this season, and I feel I have developed as a driver and as a person over the course of the year. Invicta has a great record in Formula 2, and I cannot wait to get started with the team and prepare for our campaign together.”

The Trident-to-Invicta pathway has become one of the most productive pipelines in junior motorsport. Gabriel Bortoleto, Leonardo Fornaroli, and Rafael Camara each won the F3 title with Trident before moving to Invicta in F2 — with Bortoleto and Fornaroli both claiming the F2 crown as rookies. Camara currently sits a close second in the 2026 F2 standings with a chance to complete the same treble.

Audi Driver Development Programme director Allan McNish backed the move as the logical next step. “He enjoyed a strong Formula 3 season, fighting for the title until the final round — showing his speed, racecraft and progress throughout the year,” McNish said. “Invicta Racing has had an excellent record in recent years, and we are delighted to be working with them. We believe it is the ideal environment for him.”

Slater will look to those predecessors as the benchmark when he lines up on the F2 grid for the first time in 2027.