Alexander Dunne Earns Impressive Maiden F2 Victory

Rodin Motorsport driver Alexander Dunne took to the top step for the first time in Formula 2, winning the Sakhir Feature Race with a measured performance from fourth on the grid.

Luke Browning made the alternative strategy work to earn second for Hitech TGR ahead of Leonardo Fornaroli, the Invicta Racing driver rounding out the podium in third.

AS IT HAPPENED

Fornaroli aced his start but wheelspin for Martins dropped him down to seventh by Turn 1. Dunne seized second ahead of Roman Stanek and Rafael Villagómez. The Mexican driver was able to sneak his way by for third at Turn 10, while Josep María Martí had charged up to fifth from P11 on the grid on Soft Pirelli tyres.

Those running in the top eight were all fitted with the softer compound, Joshua Duerksen in P9 leading those on the white-walled Hard tyres on the alternative strategy. That was until Lap 5 when Luke Browning took ninth from the AIX Racing driver out of Turn 4.

After Martí had passed Stanek, Martins was on the move up ahead, taking fifth from the Czech driver at the Turn 8 hairpin.

Having trailed by over a second in the early laps, Dunne closed to within DRS range of race leader Fornaroli approaching the pit window opening, half a second back in P2.

Onto Lap 6 and Martí looked to have a move done for third on Villagómez, but the Van Amersfoort Racing driver’s cutback out of Turn 4 allowed him to re-take the place.

With DRS on Lap 7, Dunne took the lead of the race into Turn 1 from Fornaroli, who’d reported his tyres were beginning to fall away from him , Martí mirrored that move for third position a few metres behind the leading pair, while Martins took advantage himself, getting the run into Turn 4 to take fourth from Villagómez.

Lap 10 and Stanek was able to re-pass Villagómez with DRS into Turn 4 to move himself back into the top five.

Martins was the first of the leaders to pit for Hard compound tyres, rejoining in P17. Stanek, Browning and Duerksen were all in on the following lap for their pitstops, coming back out behind Martins but ahead of Verschoor. Browning put his Soft tyres to good use, passing Stanek on Lap 15.

Fornaroli and Martí pitted at the start of Lap 16 for their mandatory stops, and left as they entered, rejoining the track between seventh-placed Martins and Browning in P10.

Race leader Dunne was called in to respond to those pitstops at the end of the lap. He fitted the Hards and rejoined ahead of Martins with his lead intact.

Browning was the lead driver on Softs and moved himself up to fourth at Turn 4 with a pass on Martí on Lap 18. The Hitech driver’s charge continued, and he was onto the back of Fornaroli on Lap 21. He used DRS to take third down the main straight to maintain his progress up the order.

Martins wasn’t able to repel his fellow Williams Racing Driver Development talent as on Lap 23, the Briton took second from the ART driver with DRS into Turn 1. The gap to the race leader stood at 4.5s with 10 laps to go.

Browning’s progress stalled out however, as the leader extended his advantage in the following phase of the race to over six seconds.

Fornaroli’s hopes of a podium weren’t over, as he was able to close in on Martins in third. He was told his pace through the last corner was a strength, and he used it to good effect to get a run on Martins to take the place with five laps to go.

One lap later and Martí was through on the Frenchman and into fourth with a 1.4s deficit to Fornaroli ahead. He cut into DRS range entering the final lap and with DRS into Turn 4, Martí had the momentum but some stout defence by Fornaroli kept the Italian ahead.

Neither could catch Dunne though, who earned his maiden F2 win by over eight seconds from Browning. Fornaroli held onto third ahead of Martí while Martins fended off Richard Verschoor and Dino Beganovic for fifth.

Arvid Lindblad put in a strong drive to finish eighth from P16 on the grid, while Gabriele Minì and Duerksen rounded out the points in P9 and P10.

Alexander Dunne, Rodin Motorsport

“Super happy with the win. I think the team did a mega job and the car was in the exact sweet spot. So I’m super, super happy and looking forward to Jeddah next week.”

THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Just five points cover the top five in the Drivers’ Championship as Fornaroli leads the way on 26, a single point ahead of Dunne and Browning, tied on 25 points apiece. Martí follows in fourth on 23, with Verschoor rounding out the top five places on 21 points.

Hitech TGR lead in the Teams’ Standings with 37 points ahead of Campos Racing, second on 31. Invicta Racing are just one point back in third ahead of MP Motorsport on 27, and Rodin Motorsport on 25.

UP NEXT

FIA Formula 2 is back in action next weekend around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Round 3 gets underway from 19-21 April.