Alex Dunne mirrored on the primary half of the 2026 F2 season, the place he has reached a powerful degree of consistency however has but to achieve the highest spot within the championship.
In 2025, Dunne was a regularly mentioned driver, as a member of the McLaren driver academy and in rivalry for the title all through the season; he was persistently praised for his tempo.
Nonetheless, as his marketing campaign went on, extra errors got here out. It began together with his Flip 1 incident in Monaco, the place his eagerness to get forward led to a significant crash and a pile-up.
These inconsistencies plagued the again finish of the Irishman’s yr and dropped him from the championship result in fifth within the standings.
Heading right into a second yr within the sequence, he continued with Rodin Motorsport, however with the help of Alpine slightly than McLaren.
Whereas he sits fourth within the championship after the primary half of the season, he’s change into a much more well-rounded driver and has managed to eradicate a lot of the inconsistency he confronted final yr.
A constant 2026
He spoke to Method 2 about this yr to date, explaining that it has ‘not been too dangerous’.
“Normally, it’s not been too dangerous.” He stated. “I feel we’ve been comparatively constant. I feel qualifying has been a significant robust level, being within the prime three each weekend since Miami, which after all is very nice.
“Being constant in quali is actually vital. I feel that’s undoubtedly one thing I’m glad about. Then by way of races, I feel tempo we have to enhance a bit bit, however we’re getting there.”
Dunne was open about how there have been many areas he wished to work on from his rookie marketing campaign, and he believed that along with Rodin he’s taken vital strides this yr.
“I realized quite a bit from quali final yr; there have been additionally a number of areas as a rookie I wanted to enhance on, which I feel I’ve achieved a superb job specializing in this yr.
“The crew additionally do an excellent job with the automobile as effectively. The automobile is at all times within the window of the place we would like it to be, which, after all, makes it quite a bit simpler as a driver.
“Whether or not we now have the tempo to win or the tempo to complete fifth, no matter it’s, I feel we simply at all times have to attempt to end as excessive as we probably can.”
F2 and its unpredictability
In a sequence as chaotic as F2, profitable isn’t every little thing. Many drivers have gained titles not by amassing probably the most wins however slightly by persistently being within the factors and stepping on the rostrum.
Hungary was the primary weekend all season that Dunne walked away with out factors, the Irishman in any other case selecting up 5 podiums.
Dunne admitted final season that he was engaged on not at all times making the dangerous strikes for the lead. That generally second place was higher than crashing out in a transfer for the highest step of the rostrum.
He reiterated that to F2, He stated: “If the beginning of a race hasn’t gone to plan or if one thing occurs within the center, I feel you simply have to reset and maximise what’s potential on the day.
“That’s what we’ve tried to give attention to to ensure we get probably the most factors out of each weekend. Race tempo might be the primary space of focus, let’s say. The previous few rounds we’ve made a step ahead, and I feel Spa was undoubtedly a step in the correct route.
“So I’m fairly assured that we’ll be difficult and again to regular tempo for wins and issues like that fairly quickly. Positively a few issues that we discovered that appear to be working persistently. If what we’ve found out is true, then I feel we must be again to regular.”
5 rounds to go
There are nonetheless 5 rounds remaining within the F2 championship and greater than sufficient races for the order to alter dramatically because it so typically does in F2.
Dunne instructed F2 that he wasn’t targeted on the standings however slightly his efficiency every spherical. He spoke about his need to ‘maximise’ the efficiency as Rodin hopes to be again in profitable type.
“I simply wish to attempt to maximise myself each weekend and get probably the most out of what we’ve bought. And the place we find yourself is the place we find yourself. I’m probably not too targeted on that for the time being, to be sincere.
“Monza’s at all times an satisfying one, a monitor I like and it’s at all times pretty thrilling, qualifying and a little bit of chaos as effectively, which is at all times good for the followers. After which Madrid, I’m actually trying ahead to it.”
Madrid is a model new monitor for all sequence, with F3 simply finishing their in-season check on the hybrid road and everlasting circuit. It brings with it anticipation and thriller that Dunne was excited for.
“From what I’ve seen, the monitor seems fairly cool. It seems very excessive velocity, and it’s a road circuit as effectively. So I feel the truth that it’s additionally going to be a brand new monitor for the entire group will make it very thrilling.”
READ MORE:
