Alex Dunne returned to the top three in Formula 2 (F2) Qualifying at the 2026 Italian GP, securing third on the grid for Sunday’s Feature Race at Monza.
The Rodin Motorsport driver had already shown strong pace earlier on Friday as he topped a shortened Free Practice session with a 1:31.957. However, Qualifying presented a greater challenge as traffic, lock-ups and the importance of securing a tow complicated proceedings around the high-speed Italian circuit.
Dunne locked up and cut across the Ascari chicane on his opening push lap, forcing him to abandon the attempt. He recovered to sit fourth after the opening runs before improving late in the session with a 1:31.472. Rafael Câmara ultimately took pole with a 1:31.326, while Joshua Dürksen completed an Invicta Racing front-row lockout, leaving Dunne just 0.146s away from the fastest time.
Following Qualifying, Dunne spoke in the FIA F2 press conference, attended by Pit Debrief, about managing the chaotic session, his continued qualifying consistency, the importance of the Monza slipstream and whether Rodin has improved the race pace that has troubled him at points this season.
Dunne makes the most of a difficult F2 Qualifying session in Monza
Although Dunne came close to pole position, the Irishman admitted that preparing his tyres while navigating the traffic made it difficult to put everything together. Nevertheless, third marked a welcome return to the front of the grid following a challenging previous round in Hungary.
“Yeah, it was a difficult one, I think, with all the traffic and the chaos starting the lap, going into the last corner. I think it was always going to be difficult. So tyre temps and getting everything in the right window was quite tricky. But I think in the end, we made the most of what was always going to be a difficult situation. So I would have liked a little bit more. But I think to be back in the top three after a difficult weekend in Hungary is nice.“
Staying out of trouble amid the late-session traffic
The closing stages produced a particularly tense battle for track position as drivers attempted to put themselves in the best possible position for their final flying laps. Dunne found cars moving around him on both sides as the field prepared to push. Rather than fight to maintain his place in the queue, he prioritised avoiding an incident that could compromise the rest of his Italian GP weekend.
“Yeah, it was tricky. I think I think it was Roman Bilinski who kind of started the chain of when everyone started pushing and kind of stopped driving slowly off the racing line. And I had people kind of going around me on the left, going around me on the right. And I just really wanted to stay out of trouble, make sure I get my nose clean and not get involved in any silly incidents that would make us make our life very difficult for the rest of the weekend. So I kind of just tried to let everyone pass and then went when I felt like I was behind someone that I knew I could be in a good position. So it was difficult to manage. But I think in the end, we ended up OK.“
Previous qualifying pressure helped Dunne remain calm
Dunne also faced pressure earlier in the session after his initial lock-up prevented him from completing his first flying lap. However, the Rodin driver has found himself in similar situations several times during the 2026 campaign. His third attempt on the opening set of tyres eventually put him fourth, giving him some security before the decisive second runs began.
“Yeah, I mean, I think I’ve been in that position a couple of times this year already, so I think I kind of knew how to go about it. There’s been plenty of times where run one hasn’t quite gone to plan and we were under pressure to put it together on run two. But I think in the end, I did. I managed to do a third lap on the first run, and I was P4. So if I didn’t get to finish my lap on run two, it wouldn’t have been a disaster anyway. But I think in general, if the beginning of the session doesn’t quite go to plan, you just need to keep the head and focus on doing a good job on the second set.“
Dunne sees no need for split F2 Qualifying at Monza
Formula 3 used a split qualifying format at Monza, dividing its larger field into two groups. While F2 features eight fewer cars, its Qualifying session still produced congestion as drivers prepared for their final attempts. Despite the traffic he encountered, Dunne did not believe F2 needed to follow F3 by introducing a similar Qualifying format in Monza.
“Yeah, I think it’s fine how it is.“
Finding the right driver to follow at Monza
The tow plays a significant role at Monza, where the circuit’s long straights make finding the right position behind another car particularly valuable.
For Dunne, however, securing a useful slipstream involves more than simply finding another car to follow. A driver also needs to judge the pace of the car ahead to avoid catching them at an inconvenient point of the lap.
“Pretty simple, get out behind someone good. I mean, there’s no rocket science to it. Put yourself in the right place on track. Of course, you want to find someone who’s roughly the same pace as you. I think if you’re behind someone who’s struggling a bit more with pace, you’re probably going to catch them at the wrong time during the lap. So, you know, of course, you want to get a tow, but you want to make sure you’re behind someone who can keep it together in front of you as well.“
Dunne on his qualifying consistency and missing out on pole
Dunne has regularly established himself towards the front of the field in Qualifying throughout the 2026 season when he has had the pace available on Friday. Speaking in response to a question from Pit Debrief, Dunne reflected on consistently maximising his qualifying opportunities despite remaining without a pole position. Rather than focus on the poles that have escaped him, the Rodin driver believes he has largely extracted what his machinery has allowed.
“I mean, it is what it is. I think I would say weekend in and weekend out, I can only get the most out of what I’m given. So I think in terms of that, I think I’m doing a good job. You know, it’s always hard. I think we’ve been very close to pole a couple of times. But I think with that, I’ve also felt like I’ve gotten the most out of what I’ve got.“
Dunne sits among the leading contenders in the 2026 F2 standings, although he entered the Monza weekend 59 points behind championship leader Nikola Tsolov. When considering how the championship protagonists might compare in equal machinery, the Irishman acknowledged that the picture could potentially look different but stressed his satisfaction with his own performances.
“It’s hard to say. Maybe if the top four [in the championship] were in the same car, it would look a bit different. But it’s hard to say. I think I’m pretty happy with what we’ve been doing so far and what I’ve been doing. So yeah, I don’t really look at, you know, what it could be, because I think in terms of my own performance, I’m happy with what I’m doing.“
Irish support remains “very special” for Dunne
Despite competing far away from home for much of the season, Dunne continues to see considerable Irish support at circuits throughout the F2 calendar. Coming from what he described as a small country makes that travelling support particularly meaningful. He also tries to make time for the Irish fans he encounters during race weekends in recognition of the effort they have made to support him.
“I mean, for me, it’s pretty cool. Obviously, I come from a pretty small country, but I think it doesn’t seem small when I see the amount of fans weekend in, weekend out. And I think the effort they go to and the passion they have in terms of supporting me is always really, really nice. And I think especially when I go home and do certain types of events with fans or sponsors or whatever at home, I think obviously there, I probably feel it a little bit more. But, you know, even on the race weekends, it’s always very, very special.”
“And, you know, I always try and if I have five minutes, I always try and give it to an Irish person that I meet throughout the weekend because they’ve travelled to come and see me, which is something that’s very nice and I’m pretty proud of. So it’s a very special feeling. I’m sure for these two guys, it’s much the same. But I think to see flags from your own country when you’re driving around, whether it be in qualifying race, whatever, it’s always pretty special.“
Sprint Race will provide first test of Rodin’s race-pace improvements
While Qualifying has regularly proved a strength for Dunne in F2, converting that speed into race results has not always been as straightforward. The Irishman previously highlighted tyre management and race pace as areas of difficulty. Ahead of the two races at Monza, he remained reluctant to declare those issues solved before seeing how the car performed across a longer run.
Dunne explained that Rodin Motorsport has continued working with him to improve the car, with the Sprint Race set to offer the first indication of whether those changes have delivered the desired progress.
“I don’t know. I’ll let you know after a couple of laps in the sprint race tomorrow. I mean, it’s hard to say. You know, race pace was, I would say, usually as a driver is one of my strong suits. So I think whether or not it’s fixed, I don’t think it’s quite up to me. So we’ll have to wait and see. I think the team have been working hard with me to try and make improvements with the car to find a little bit that we’re missing. And, you know, I think we’ve gotten better and better each weekend, but probably still not quite where we wanted to be. So, yeah, I’ll find out tomorrow if what we’ve done worked or not.“
