From P8 on the grid for the 2026 F2 Australian GP Sprint, Alex Dunne drove a very clever race to end up on the podium after 23 laps at Albert Park.
The Irishman, who starts P3 for the Feature Race on Sunday, took advantage of the chaos unfolding around him. Although he finished P4 on the road, a controversial penalty given to teammate Martinius Stenshorne meant it was the driver from Offaly who got 3rd.
Following his rookie season in F2 in 2025, Alex Dunne explained to Pit Debrief and other media outlets that using the lessons learned from last year was key to his drive to the podium.
Nonetheless, he admits the pure race pace was not quite there on Saturday afternoon in Melbourne. At one point, fellow Alpine junior Gabriele Minì was ahead of him after starting at the back of the pack.
A mature approach pays dividends for Alex Dunne in 2026 F2 Australian GP Sprint Race
“Yeah, I mean, it wasn’t too bad.
“I knew the pace was good, but I definitely didn’t think starting P8 I would be sat here in the same position as I was yesterday after qualifying.
“So no, I mean, to be honest, I think until the last safety car restart, not a whole lot was happening for me. All of the places I gained were from other people kind of having contact and coming together.
“Finishing third is good, but I don’t really think we necessarily had the pace to finish third. I think a lot of it was kind of using my experience from last year and trying to be a bit more careful and a bit smarter at the beginning of the race, and then get stuck in when it all unfolds at the end.
“I think [Gabriele] Minì, for example, coming from the back row of the grid, he was really, really quick.
“So yeah, I mean, I think my experience is probably what got me P3 today and not necessarily pace. So I think we have a little bit of work to do.”
Not trying to fight with teammate Martinius Stenshorne
Early in the Sprint Race, the Norwegian driver went side-by-side with Nikola Tsolov into turn 1. Although he was wheel-to-wheel, the Rodin driver was given no space and got pushed wide by the Campos man. As he rejoined side-by-side out of turn 2 and allegedly got an advantage from it, the stewards handed car #14 a 5-second penalty.
Asked about racing his teammate when he had a penalty — and who was a spot or two ahead of him all race — Dunne explained that fighting him would have cost them both valuable time and positions.
Instead, it was a case of managing tyres. As Stenshorne showed really strong pace and made aggressive but fair moves, it allowed the Irishman to follow through on multiple occasions.
“Yeah, I think I knew when I was behind Martinius, the team told me he had a five-second penalty.
“So at that point I kind of backed off a little bit and started saving the tyres because I think there was no point in trying to go crazy to get past him and just losing more time for the both of us. I knew that as long as I was within five seconds, I was going to get that place anyway.
“So I kind of tried to play it smart. And most of the time when he made a move on the car in front, I kind of just went with him and picked up the pieces. So yeah, I think it’s nice that we’re both there.
“I think overall the pace wasn’t bad, but it can be better. So I think there’s some stuff we need to work on.”
Mixing caution and aggression
On lap 12, Alex Dunne made no attempt to defend as the rampaging Minì made his way through, letting him have the inside for P6 into turn 11. It was a sign that the Irishman has learned to pick and choose what to fight in 2026.
In the closing stages, however, the 20-year-old displayed the best of his racecraft. A stunning double overtake on Câmara and Mini into turn 3 moved him up from P7 to P5. On the final tour, he pulled off a beautiful switchback on Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak to take a net P3.
In response to a question from Pit Debrief on balancing risk versus reward in such a chaotic race, Alex Dunne explained how he has taken valuable lessons from 2025.
To win any championship, consistency is key. Leonardo Fornaroli was a prime example in the 2024 F3 season. It’s a target for the Rodin Motorsport driver in 2026.
“Yeah, I think definitely what I learned from last year was applied to the Sprint Race today.
“I think, like I said, the pace was still relatively strong, but I think it wasn’t quite as good as what I feel our race pace normally is, let’s say.
“And I think at the beginning of the race, it was quite difficult to move forward. So I kind of tried my best to just hang on in the train and manage the tyres.
“And then at the end, after the last restart [following Boya’s crash], I think that’s when it kind of all unfolded and everyone was going a little bit crazy trying to get the most out of it from the last restart. So yeah, I mean, I tried to use my experience the best I could and learn from what I did last year.”
Consistency is key
“I know that the goal is to be more consistent this year and just bring home the points when I can. But also, I think when there’s moments to get stuck in and be a bit more aggressive and move forward, you have to use those moments as well.
“And that’s what I did towards the end of the race, and it worked out pretty well.”
Dunne: No change in approach for Sunday’s 2026 F2 Australian GP Feature Race following P3 in Sprint
While he bagged six good points on Saturday from 8th, there will be no change in approach on Sunday. Should he find a bit more pace, Dunne can fight for big points.
“Not necessarily.
“I mean, I think going into the first race of the season, I was probably a bit more on the safer side than what I was last year.
“I think the first half of the race, I kind of just played it calm and waited for it to all unfold. And then when it was time to properly get stuck in, that’s when I did.
“I think tomorrow starting P3, we’re at the sharp end of the field. So it’ll be a bit easier to manage things. We just need to get a good start, get our head down, and then we’ll see how it plays out.”
