Alex Dunne will start the Formula 2 feature race at Monza from the second row after securing third place in Friday’s qualifying session.

The Offaly driver completed his fastest lap in 1:31.472 for Rodin Motorsport, finishing 0.146 seconds behind pole-sitter Rafael Câmara.

Câmara led an Invicta Racing one-two with a time of 1:31.326. Joshua Dürksen claimed second in 1:31.383, just 0.057 seconds ahead of Dunne.

Dunne recovers from difficult opening runs

Third place represented an impressive recovery after Dunne encountered problems during his early qualifying attempts.

His first serious effort was compromised by a lock-up at the Ascari chicane, sending the Rodin car across the gravel. A subsequent run ended when he went too deep into the opening corner and abandoned the lap.

That left the Irish driver needing to respond while the order continued to change around him. Dunne eventually put together a lap good enough for fourth without receiving the full benefit of a tow around the high-speed Italian circuit.

The final runs began with just over five minutes remaining. Dunne initially moved into second place before Dürksen completed his lap and pushed him back to third.

Strong pace throughout Friday

Dunne’s qualifying performance followed an encouraging free-practice session in which he set the fastest time. Although practice cannot perfectly predict qualifying pace, it demonstrated that Rodin had arrived at Monza with a competitive package.

The nature of the qualifying session made Dunne’s third place particularly valuable. With two early attempts disrupted, there was little room left for another error when the field switched to fresh tyres for the closing minutes.

Instead, Dunne delivered when the pressure was greatest and placed himself in contention for a significant haul of championship points.

The Irishman entered the Monza weekend fourth in the Formula 2 standings. With the season approaching its decisive stage, converting his front-row pace into a clean feature race will be the next priority.

Monza’s long straights and heavy braking zones can produce unpredictable racing, but third on the grid gives Dunne a strong platform from which to attack Sunday’s main event.

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The Offaly teenager will begin his quest to become a Grand Prix star in the Spanish F4 Championship, part of the FIA’s global feeder series for International Formula 3 and the recognised first step on the road from Karting to Formula One.

Having spent a number of successful seasons in European Karting, Alex is now ready to make the move to Car Racing and will do so with the support of Motorsport Ireland’s new Race Academy. Preparations for the season are well underway with Alex’s F4 car already being prepared at Pinnacle’s Kildare base for its first shakedown run, before the team travels to Spa Francorchamps in Belgium for the first test of the season in early April.

Pinnacle Motorsport is run by former Irish Champion and Asian F3 race winner John O’Hara and the team has a wealth of experience competing at all levels across Asia, including race and championship wins in Asian F3 and F4. Driving for Pinnacle will be the perfect start for Alex as he is already familiar with the team personnel and he will be the teams’ sole driver in the Spanish F4 series.

The Spanish Championship is one of a number of regional FIA Formula 4 series which have been designed to provide Kart racers with the perfect first step into Car Racing and it should see Alex going head to head once again against a number of his old Karting rivals. The series will take the drivers to three current Formula One venues as they travel around Europe, beginning in April with Spa, the home of the Belgian GP. The seven event calendar will also include trips to the Portuguese Grand Prix venue, Portimao, and November’s season finale in Barcelona.

The move from Karting to Car racing is always a challenge for young racers but Alex is looking forward to getting to grips with his new car and is happy with preparations so far. “I’ve been doing a lot of work over the winter, with my physical training and also learning the tracks through sim racing, so I’m ready now for the real thing. This is a very exciting step especially with racing at such amazing venues as Spa and Portimao. The team will be a great fit for me as I know John already and I know he will help me to learn the car and achieve my goal of challenging for race wins and the championship. A lot of work has gone into putting this season together and I have to thank all of my backers, Motorsport Ireland, VTL, Harris, Maxus, Reynolds, Artisan and NEA Designs as without their support I would not have this opportunity. I just want to get started now and I can’t wait to get back racing.”

Speaking about the season ahead Pinnacle Motorsport team owner John O’Hara said. “We’ve been following Alex’s progress at the highest level of Karting over the past couple of years so we are really looking forward to working with him as we tackle the Spanish series for the first time. We’ve had a lot of success in Asia and we are aiming to replicate that in Europe with Alex. Initially it will be about building Alex’s experience and confidence in the car but by the end of the season we will be aiming to challenge at the front and win races.

Alex Dunne’s Spanish F4 campaign starts with Rounds 1, 2 and 3 on April 24th and 25th and his progress can be followed on the championship’s live stream on www.f4spain.org. You can also keep up to date with his progress on Instagram and facebook and on his web site www.alexdunneracing.com.

The post Alex Dunne signs up with top Irish team for Car Racing debut appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Born in Dublin and now living in Offaly he has been racing since 2014, Dunne first made waves on the international stage in 2016 with wins in the British Championship. His rapid rise through the ranks has already seen him compete in major international events, including a top-five finish out of over 160 drivers at the Mini ROK International Final in Italy, and strong showings in both the European and World OK Junior Championships.

Now, Alex heads to Le Mans off the back of a standout performance at the OK Junior World Final in Sweden. The only Irish driver at the event, he finished an impressive 11th out of more than 100 competitors—many with far more international experience.

His reward? A wildcard entry to the IAME International Final—an event typically reserved for drivers competing in their national IAME series. The five-day Le Mans festival begins with practice and qualifying from Wednesday, building to Sunday’s grand final.

Testing is already underway, and Alex wasted no time making an impact—running in the top six throughout day one. Reflecting on the experience, he said:

“I’m really enjoying the experience and so far it’s going really well. Le Mans is really impressive and it’s great to be at a proper race track with all the facilities. The track really suits me as I like circuits with a good mix of fast and technical sections. I’ve been quick so far and I’m feeling great in the kart. I just need everything to go right in qualifying, and then I’ll be aiming for at least a top-three finish in the final.”

With his skill, maturity, and relentless drive, many are already tipping Alex Dunne to become Ireland’s next Formula 1 driver. He’s proving he can mix it with the best at every level—and Le Mans might just be the next big step on the road to motorsport stardom.

You can follow Alex’s progress at www.iamekarting.com, with live timing and updates available throughout the event. For more on Alex and his journey, visit www.alexdunneracing.com or follow him on Facebook and Instagram.

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