Alexander Dunne and Rodin Motorsport made a superb start to their 2026 Canadian GP weekend in Montreal after the Irish driver topped F2 Free Practice at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. With F2 visiting Canada for the first time following an exciting round in Miami, drivers immediately faced the demanding task of learning the fast and unforgiving Montreal circuit during a single 45-minute session.
Nevertheless, Dunne adapted quickly despite low grip levels, dusty conditions, and multiple yellow-flag interruptions, producing a session-best 1:22.524 lap. Meanwhile, teammate Martinius Stenshorne secured second place to complete a commanding Rodin one-two, finishing just 0.012 seconds behind and highlighting the team’s strong early pace ahead of Qualifying later in the day.
Dunne relishes the challenge of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as F2 makes its Canadian debut
Although the Montreal circuit presented significant challenges, Dunne quickly found confidence around the 4.361 km venue and immediately enjoyed its unique characteristics. The Alpine Academy driver compared the layout to Miami and Melbourne, believing the circuit offered a combination of permanent-track flow and street-circuit intensity.
“I’m happy,” said Dunne to Formula 2. “The track is really cool, really, really enjoyable. I really enjoyed it. I think the general flow of the track is kind of similar to Miami and Melbourne, where it’s like a normal track and a street track at the same time, which is cool.
“So it is definitely really enjoyable. The track was very dirty, so it took a couple of laps to get into it, but I’m happy.”
The dirty track surface became one of the defining themes of the session. Several drivers struggled for grip throughout the opening runs, while others repeatedly locked up or ran wide as they searched for confidence around the circuit’s low-grip conditions. Nevertheless, Dunne steadily built momentum and eventually produced the lap that remained unbeaten for the rest of the session.
Rodin Motorsport immediately shows front-running pace
As the session progressed, Rodin Motorsport increasingly looked like the benchmark team around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Both Dunne and Stenshorne remained firmly inside the leading group throughout Practice, demonstrating impressive balance and consistency across different stages of the session.
Consequently, the team heads into Qualifying carrying strong momentum after establishing an early advantage over several championship rivals. However, despite the encouraging one-two result, Dunne still believes there is further performance available from both the car and the package overall.
“Overall, I’m pretty happy. Obviously, it must be pretty good if Martinius and I are first and second, so that’s good for the team, but it’s definitely not perfect.
“There are still a few things that we can work on and fix, which is a nice place to be. I think when you’re already quick, and there’s stuff you can do to make it better, that means you’re in a pretty strong spot, so I’m looking forward to Qualifying.”
Dunne adapts rapidly to unfamiliar conditions in Montreal
Despite never previously racing an F2 car in Montreal, Dunne required only a handful of laps to understand the circuit’s rhythm and demands. That rapid adaptation proved especially important given the limited amount of running available before Qualifying.
While several drivers continued to struggle with confidence throughout Practice, Dunne quickly developed a strong understanding of when to push and when to remain cautious.
“I think it took a couple of laps for me to get used to it,” he said. “After three or four laps, I had a pretty good idea of where I was going. It didn’t take too long to get into it, to be honest.”
That ability to adapt quickly ultimately allowed Dunne to maximise track evolution and steadily improve throughout the session. Furthermore, it placed Rodin Motorsport in a particularly strong position heading into Qualifying later in the day.
Track evolution expected to shape Qualifying battle
Although Practice remained extremely dusty and slippery, conditions are expected to improve significantly before Qualifying begins. Higher temperatures, combined with additional running from Formula 1 machinery, should help clean the racing line and increase grip levels around the circuit.
Consequently, teams expect lap times to fall rapidly once Qualifying gets underway. Dunne believes the scale of track evolution could become a decisive factor in the battle for pole position.
“I think the main difference is that the track won’t be covered in dust,” he said. “I think with how dirty the track was, it’s by far the dirtiest track I’ve ever driven on in F2. So I imagine the track evolution is going to be really high, especially since F1 will be driving before us as well.”
That constantly evolving surface will likely force teams and drivers to react quickly throughout Qualifying as conditions improve from one run to the next.
Dunne targets another F2 pole position in Montreal
Dunne now heads into Qualifying as one of the clear favourites for pole in Montreal. His impressive pace throughout Free Practice, combined with Rodin Motorsport’s overall competitiveness, has placed the team firmly in contention for another strong result.
Moreover, the Irish teenager appears increasingly confident with both the circuit and the car as the weekend continues to develop. When asked whether he felt capable of securing pole position later in the day, Dunne responded confidently: “Yes!”
