After starting seventh on Sunday at the 2025 Spielberg F2 Round of the Austrian GP, Rodin Motorsport’s Alexander Dunne recovered well to cross the line second, albeit almost ten seconds behind race leader Richard Verschoor. Unfortunately, Dunne’s jubilation soon turned to disappointment when Stewards disqualified him from the race due to a breach of the technical regulations.
Following their investigation, the Stewards deemed that Dunne’s Car 17 had suffered excessive front plant wear, resulting in its minimum thickness falling beneath the required 4mm thickness. As this violated Article 3.2.2. of the FIA Formula 2 Technical Regulations, Dunne was disqualified, losing both position and the 18 points that he had earned.
Pleased with strong pace and strategy
As Dunne’s disqualification came hours after the race had concluded, the Irish driver had spoken to media on his race. During the post-race press conference attended by Pit Debrief, Dunne admitted that he was happy to have finished P2, as while he had not been concerned about his race pace, he had not thought that he would make up so many positions.
“I’d be happier if [Verschoor] wasn’t sat in the middle,” Dunne joked when asked if he was pleased with his recovery in Sunday’s 2025 Spielberg F2 Feature Race.
Changing to a more serious tone, he added, “No, I think you can happy with that. To be honest, I though coming into the race, I knew the pace was alright from the Sprint Race, but I definitely didn’t think it was going to be finishing second good.”
He emphasised the role that his strategy had played, noting that a correctly-timed pit stop as “some good moves” had helped him make his way to the front of the field.
“So, I think we pitted at the right time. The strategy was good. I think I made some good moves as well to put myself in that position.”
Dunne explained that the strategy complemented his strong pace, which he described as being exceptionally quick.
“So no, overall, I was very, very happy. And I think overall the pace was strong. I think myself and Richard [Verschoor] were clearly the quickest. I think we were pretty far ahead of everyone else. So I think the fact that we’re first and second in the championship and with pace like that and fighting like that against each other, I think it’s pretty cool to see.”
Dunne summarised, “So for me, it was a good race.”
A difficult but enjoyable race
While a good race for the Irishman, the 2025 Spielberg F2 Feature Race did have its fair share of challenges. As he worked his way up the order, Dunne battled several drivers, most notably fellow Williams Driver Academy member Victor Martins, currently racing with ART Grand Prix, and Red Bull Junior, Pepe Martí, currently with Campos Racing. He also suffered some contact with teammate Amaury Cordeel after locking up into Turn 1. Despite this, Dunne claims that he had not been under too much pressure. Instead, he described the race as “good fun.”
“No, it was good fun, to be honest. I actually really enjoyed the race. I never really felt like I was under a whole lot of pressure or like I was in a difficult place. Of course it was a difficult race, but I think I had a battle with Pepe for a few laps and that was good fun. And then I had a fight with Victor and then I was trying to catch Richard. So yeah, no, it was a fun race to be honest. I enjoyed it. I apologise to Amaury for what happened in Turn 1 with a small contact. It just locked up. But no, it was good fun. I enjoyed it.”
A ”cool weekend” after FP1 outing with McLaren
Though his recovery to P2 in Spielberg was impressive, it was not enough to allow Dunne to hold on to the lead of the 2025 F2 Drivers’ Championship. Instead, with Verschoor claiming victory, Dunne fell to P2 with a deficit of six points. Dunne’s later disqualification widened the gap between them to 24 points, with Verschoor on 114 points and Dunne on 90.
However, the championship fight was not the only matter of significance for Dunne this weekend. The Irish driver, a member of the McLaren Driver Development Programme, participated in Free Practice 1 at the 2025 F1 Austrian GP, deputising for Lando Norris. Though a “cool” experience, Dunne admitted that he had struggled to re-adjust to his F2 car ahead of his Qualifying session in the 2025 Spielberg F2 Round.
“It’s been a cool weekend. To be honest, Qualifying after FP1 was super difficult. I think jumping back into the F2 car was actually way harder than what I expected,” he said.
“And I think especially if you look at the pace I had in FP, then when I went back to Quali, I thought it was going to be all right. And in the end, I think seventh was the best I could have done to be honest, because in terms of feeling with the car, I was just massively struggling after driving F1. But no, I think then to kind of turn it around and come away with P2 in the Feature Race was really nice. And obviously, FP1 went pretty well. So yeah, I think I’m happy.”
Dunne in a “good position” after McLaren FP1 outing and strong F2 Feature Race performance
With the Austrian GP marking his F1 Free Practice debut, Dunne, already a popular figure in his native Ireland, was asked about the pressure that he had faced during the weekend, especially with so many eyes on him. While he does not believe himself to be a celebrity, he admitted that the weekend had allowed him to showcase his talent and potential behind the wheel.
“I mean, I wouldn’t say I’m a celebrity, but definitely, I think what happened on Friday definitely, I would say, put me in a good position. I think I gave myself the best opportunity of trying to show what I’m capable of in an F1 car. And I think a lot of that as well is thanks to McLaren for helping me develop and preparing me for my first F1.”
A “very cool” but tiring experience
However, Dunne did not shy away from discussing the tole that the weekend had taken on him, describing Friday at the 2025 Austrian GP as “tiring” with him having to balance his role in F2 with the opportunity in F1. This tiredness, Dunne believes, had affected his performance in the F2 Qualifying session.
“I think on the Friday, generally, it was quite a tiring day, to be honest. You know, I got straight out of F1. And by the time I was back in the truck at Rodin, I had to get changed and jump straight back in the F2 car again. So, I think over the whole day, you know, I kind of just felt a little bit tired. It was relatively difficult to perform to the level I wanted to in Quali.”
Reflecting on the weekend, having experienced it all, Dunne admitted that there were things that he would do differently if given the opportunity to repeat the day. However, he reiterated that the weekend had been a successful one despite the challenging Qualifying.
“So I think if I was to do it again, there are probably some things I would do differently to make it easier for myself both mentally and physically. But no, overall, it was still a very, very cool experience. I’m happy that it went well. And, you know, I think regardless of the tricky Qualifying, the result we had today was still a very strong one so I think I can be happy with it.”
No mindset change despite strong FP1 showing
Dunne also believes that his strong performance in FP1 at the 2025 F1 Austrian GP FP1 did not affect his mindset when approaching his F2 weekend. When asked if his P4 finish in FP1 at the Red Bull Ring had added to his motivation or taken off some of the pressure to prove himself, Dunne replied, “Not really.”
He explained that he believed that he had proved his worth and capabilities as a driver throughout the season. While he had expected a challenging race, especially with Verschoor staring ahead in P3, Dunne had been optimistic of a strong finish as none of his wins had come from him starting at the front.
“I didn’t really feel like I had to prove myself. I think I’ve done enough this year to kind of show that I’m capable of being here, of course. But I think I honestly thought after Qualifying that it was going to be one of the more difficult weekends. I think every race I’ve won so far, I’ve never started in the top three. So I knew that coming through the field, it was still possible. But of course, I knew it was going to be difficult. And I knew that Richard was starting P3 and he’s always fast. I think he was also quicker last year as well.”
Feature Race about damage limitation
While Dunne believes that he “did a good job” at the 2025 Spielberg F2 Round, he admitted that the Feature Race had been about damage limitation.
“So obviously, I did a good job. But I think for me, this whole weekend was just about damage limitation, especially after the jumpstart yesterday, which kind of limited the amount of points I could have got. And I think for me today, the goal was just to chip away at it and pick up the points where I could.”
Unfortunately, while Dunne did appear to achieve his goal of improving his points haul, his disqualification added another set-back to his already difficult and disappointing weekend at the 2025 Austrian GP.
A difficult transition between F2 and F1
Having identified the challenges of re-transitioning to the F2 car after his FP1 outing, Dunne further described the transition. He explained that he had found transitioning from the F2 car to the MCL39 easier than the reverse, noting differences in grip and durability, especially in high-speed sections
“No, it was very, very difficult. I think the jump from F2 to F1 is definitely much easier than it is to go back,” Dunne said.
“I think the biggest thing for me was getting used to the F2 car high speed again. The F1 car, especially the McLaren this year, obviously is a very strong car as well, which makes difference. But I think jumping back into F2, in an F1 car, when you turn into the high-speed corners, it feels like you have an unlimited amount of grip. Every lap, you can push more and more, and the car seems to always be able to take it.”
“And I think on my first lap, I kind of parried the approach of an F1 car into turn 6 and I nearly spun. And I realised pretty quickly that you’re going to have to rein it in. So I think the biggest thing for me was the high speed. It was very difficult to get used to the lack of grip. And I think that’s kind of what I struggled. The low speed corners, all the heavy braking zones were pretty OK straight away. But it was more the last sector where I was struggling a little bit.”
Dunne compliments “very talented” rival Verschoor
Despite Verschoor’s lead in the 2025 F2 Drivers’ Championship, Dunne was complimentary of his rival. He described Verschoor as “very talented”, noting the Dutchman’s consistency, strong pace and intelligence behind the wheel,
“I think for sure Richard is very, very talented. You know, I think you always hear people say and people always ask him the same question of, oh, you know, you’ve been in F2 for a long time, blah, blah, blah. But I think he may have been in F2 for a long time, but you still have to be a good driver to do what he’s doing.”
“You know, that absolutely, no matter if you’re in F2 for one year or 10 years, it doesn’t matter. You still have to be a good driver and be capable of what he’s achieving right now. And I think that shows, you know, weekend in, weekend out, he’s always there.’
“In Qualifying, he’s always fast,” Dunne said, continuing, “In the race, he’s always fast. In the race, he makes good decisions. So I think he’s just a very talented guy. And I think he absolutely deserves to be where he is at the minute.”
Verschoor a fierce competitor in F2
While Dunne acknowledged the public discourse over Verschoor’s lengthy stay in F2, he believes that the Dutchman has not had the chance to properly show his skill.
“You know, I think in the last couple of years in F2, he’s maybe not quite got the opportunity to show why he’s continued in F2. And this year, he’s gotten the opportunity and he’s making good use of it, which is nice to see.”
Having identified the veteran driver as a serious competitor and strong rival, Dunne stated that Verschoor’s strong performances motivated him to push forward, knowing that small mistakes could had his rival the advantage.
“So yeah, I think weekend in, weekend out, he’s always there. And I know that I always have to be on top of my game because if I make some small little mistake, then he’s going to make the best of it.”
“A lot of things going on” for Dunne
While his disqualification from the 2025 Spielberg F2 Round ended his weekend on a sour note, Dunne’s strong pace, and his exceptional performance in FP1, has shown his strength as a driver. He will have a further opportunity to show his talents at the upcoming 2025 Berlin E-Prix with McLaren having announced his participation in the Formula E rookie test. Dunne acknowledged his hefty workload this season, admitting that balancing his responsibilities across the series can be “tricky.”
“It’s definitely not easy. I think I have a lot of things going on at the minute. And of course, as a driver, you know, in everything that I’m given the opportunity to compete in, I want to be good at it too. You know, everything I do, I want to make sure I do it properly and so it is a little bit tricky.”
However, Dunne believes that his integration within McLaren has helped him manage his workload as much as possible, and while he admits that the situation is challenging, he expects that a positive outcome.
“But I think the fact that everything I’m doing is integrated with McLaren, you know, FP1, the rookie test in FE. And I think so, you know, they’re kind of helping me as much as possible and trying to manage the situation to make sure it’s as easy as possible for me. And so yeah, it is it is difficult, but I think it should be fine.”
Dunne a formidable contender into the second half of the 2025 F2 season
Dunne’s Austrian GP weekend was a rollercoaster of highs and lows, marked by a strong FP1 debut with McLaren and an impressive recovery to second in the F2 Feature Race—only to be disqualified for a technical infringement. Despite the disappointment, his performance under pressure, reflections on rival Richard Verschoor, and readiness for upcoming opportunities like the Formula E rookie test underline his growing maturity and potential. With McLaren’s support and the F2 title still within reach, Dunne remains a formidable contender in 2025.
