Alex Dunne will start in P3 for Sunday’s F2 Feature Race at the 2026 Australian GP at Albert Park in Melbourne. A critical late lap under pressure has put him right into the mix for both races this weekend.
Not particularly satisfied with the car balance
During F2 qualifying at the 2026 Australian GP, Rodin Motorsport driver Alex Dunne was struggling for pace. Following a very hairy moment through the grass in practice, he was missing some speed through 99% of qualifying.
Speaking to Pit Debrief and other media outlets post-qualifying, the Irishman outlined some struggles he was having before that clutch final run.
“Yeah, I mean, qualifying wasn’t too bad. Well, in saying that, the last lap wasn’t too bad.
“I think up until then it was a bit tricky. We were struggling with a couple of things. And we had to make a couple of changes on the car for the final run to improve that.
“I think, if I’m not wrong, I was 15th before that final lap. I think all the pressure was just on that lap needing to deliver it at the end. Otherwise, it would have been a much harder day and a much harder weekend as well.
“I think it’s not a bad place to start. Being in the top three is always nice. It’s nice now for a change that we have the two of us at Rodin up here as well. So it shows that the car has been strong.
“But I think there’s definitely a couple of things we can do to get more out of it.”
Big set-up tweaks key to qualifying turnaround for Dunne at the 2026 F2 Australian GP
Half a second away from teammate Martinius Stenshorne (P2) on run 1 and down in 11th, Dunne was on the back foot. That became 15th before Gabrielle Minì stopped on track to bring out another red flag.
Heading into the final lap, significant changes were made to the car as he was struggling to get bite from the front tyres and had understeer as well. It paid off.
A very strong final sector especially put him P3, closing the gap to 0.1s to his Norwegian teammate.
“Yeah, pretty much. I think we made a couple of relatively big changes from FP. And then we kind of did a similar step again through the session.
“I think I was struggling quite a bit with the fronts and understeer at the beginning. And I much prefer a car that’s quite on the nose.
“So we made a relatively big step for the last run. Because realistically, we didn’t have a whole lot to lose. And I wasn’t particularly happy with the balance. So we made a big step.
“And I think still we probably could have gone even more. But it was in a much better direction.”
Alex Dunne on sticking to the basics ahead of his vital last lap in F2 qualifying at the 2026 Australian GP
With the clock ticking down under the red flag as F1 practice would not be delayed, it meant all drivers got one final run once the car of Minì was removed from the circuit.
The top 3 got asked how they deal with such scenarios. Alex Dunne explained the importance of getting a good lap in and not going for glory. It was particularly critical for him as he was running in P15 before it.
“I think there’s no real way of dealing with it. You just have to go out and do the best job you can.
“I think in my scenario today I was P15 before the final run. And I knew I had one lap to try and get something out of it.
“Like Dino said, some drivers thrive in that environment. And some drivers struggle. It’s sink or swim on that final lap.
“I think for me it’s just focusing on doing what you know. In those type of laps, when you know you only have one, any little mistake can be quite costly.
“I don’t think it’s the type of lap where you go out and you try and do a mega lap and set the world alight. You just need to stick to the basics and try and put it all together.
“And I think for me that’s what seems to work the best when you’re in those high pressure scenarios.”
Martinius Stenshorne and Alex Dunne on a friendship and pushing each other on at Rodin Motorsport
Throughout 2025, Alex Dunne had no real competition from inside the Rodin Motorsport F2 team as teammate Amaury Cordeel was nowhere near good enough to be any kind of threat.
When Martinius Stenshorne stepped in for the final couple of rounds last year, there was already signs 2026 would be a good contest between the Norwegian and the Irishman.
Asked by Pit Debrief about the importance of having a strong teammate and pushing each other on, the Rodin duo — who will start P2 and P3 on Sunday — discussed their friendship and the benefits of learning from each other.
Martinius Stenshorne
“So far me and Alex have had a good relationship, and I hope it stays that way.
“And it’s good to have a teammate like Alex for me, who helps me to improve as well.
“Obviously he’s really quick. So it’s good for me to gather his data as well. And the other way [around] of course when I’m quick.
“So far it’s been good. And I’m enjoying working with Alex and the whole Rodin team.”
Alex Dunne
“I mean, very similar to Martinius. We’ve known each other for a long time. We’ve been friends since we were 12 or 13.
“When we’re at home we do a lot of stuff on the sim together. And numerous different things. So we know each other pretty well.
“And I think for me to have a strong teammate is definitely beneficial. Because I think last year at certain points trying to find areas where I can improve, apart from looking at the data against myself, can become a little bit tricky.
“So I think now to have a good reference in Martinius as well, it shows that it’s easier to find more potential.
“And I think it’s cool. Martinius now is in a similar place I was last year being a rookie.
“So I think it’s good that we can learn off each other and push each other forward.”
A good start to life in the Alpine Academy for F2 driver Alex Dunne at the 2026 Australian GP
Before the season-opener in Melbourne, it was confirmed that Alex Dunne had joined the Alpine Academy ahead of his second season in F2.
The 20-year-old from County Offaly explained he is enjoying being inside the team since signing for them.
“Yeah, I’m happy. I’m in a good place. I’m enjoying it, which is nice.
“I think it’s nice to have a fresh start to my second season with Alpine. And kind of just get my head down and focus on the year ahead.
“From what I’ve seen so far with them, I’ve really enjoyed working with everyone. It’s been very short-lived. And I’m still yet to meet most of the team. So it’s still all very new to me.
“But for everyone I’ve met, Steve [Nielsen], the team principal, Flavio [Briatore] as well. I feel like the relationships already with them is quite strong. So I’m excited to work with them more in the future.”
