Alex Dunne arrives in Monaco aiming to build on a strong F2 podium in Canada, but the Rodin Motorsport driver insists he will not change his approach for one of the most demanding weekends on the calendar.
Dunne finished second in the Canadian Feature Race as team-mate Martinius Stenshorne claimed his maiden F2 victory, delivering a Rodin Motorsport one-two after a chaotic, Safety Car-filled race in Montreal. Gabriele Minì completed the podium and remains the championship leader heading into Monaco.
The Monaco round brings a very different challenge. The 3.337km Circuit de Monaco gives drivers little room for error, and the F2 weekend uses a split qualifying format, with Group A and Group B each getting 16 minutes to set lap times. The fastest driver overall takes Feature Race pole, while the grid alternates between the two groups.
Dunne knows the format and the circuit well. He took pole in Monaco last year with a 1:21.142 in Group B, and qualifying once again looks set to shape the weekend because overtaking remains so difficult around the Principality.
Speaking during a media session attended by Pit Debrief ahead of the Monaco round, Dunne said he would not change his approach despite last year’s standout qualifying performance.
“I think I’ll probably approach the weekend the same as I any other. Last year qualifying was very, very strong. To put it on pole was obviously amazing and I think if we can do the same again, that would be ideal.”
“But ultimately, approaching the weekend, if we can qualify in the top five and bring home some good points, that’s all that really matters.”
Dunne says Monaco changes could take away its character
Monaco’s layout often sparks debate because its narrow streets make overtaking extremely difficult. However, Dunne believes any change would come with a trade-off.
“I think change would be nice, but at the same time, change would take away from what Monaco is. Of course, racing can be a little bit of a pain here, if you put it bluntly. If you’ve had a tricky quali or whatever, which nine times out of ten is down to the driver.”
“So if quali hasn’t gone quite right, then you only have yourself and the team or whatever to blame. So in that aspect, you just need to look at it that you have to get qualifying right. But I think if you have had a tricky quali, realistically, unless there’s a crash or a safety car or whatever, where you start is where you’re going to finish.”
“It’s nearly impossible to make up places. Maybe you’ll get one or two, but to properly come through the field is really, really difficult. So I think having a change where it’s easier to race would be nice.”
“But then the whole thing of Monaco, where it’s super enjoyable to do a qualifying lap on the limit, you would lose that aspect of it. So what needs to be changed, I’m not sure, to be honest.”
Dunne not worried by early points gap
Dunne heads into Monaco with 30 points, 27 behind F2 championship leader Minì, who sits on 57. The Irishman sits seventh in the standings after three rounds, while Rodin Motorsport is third in the Teams’ Championship.
However, Dunne does not believe he needs a major reset to close the gap.
“I don’t think a whole lot really needs to change, to be honest.” He continued, “I would say the pace overall at the beginning of the year has been the strongest we’ve been one of, if not the quickest every weekend. I think in that aspect, a couple of things were a little bit unlucky, a couple of things were not so unlucky.”
“It’s just how it goes. I think that’s racing sometimes. Hopefully, what’s not been perfect for me is that at the start of the season and the rest of the year is good.”
“And I’m sure that what’s happened to me now will happen to other drivers throughout the year. No one’s going to have a perfect season from start to finish. So I think for me, I’m not too worried about it.”
“I know how good our pace is. And moving forward, I think the mindset doesn’t really need to change.”
Tabac and Swimming Pool stand out
Dunne also identified the high-speed section through Tabac and the Swimming Pool as his favourite part of the Monaco lap.
“I would say either Tabac or the swimming pool. I’m typically a driver who’s quite a big fan of high-speed corners and Tabac and the swimming pool are the only two that we have on the track.”
“Tabac specifically is a place where you can gain quite a lot of time because it’s a tricky corner, it’s important to be close to the walls, you also need to carry a lot of speed. Having a good exit is important because then you’re followed through the swimming pool chicane and if you can manage to keep it flat out through the swimming pool chicane, normally it’s on the edge, but if you can manage to do that, you gain quite a bit of time. So I would say Tabac and the swimming pool for me is the most enjoyable.”
Dunne explains what it takes to be quick in Monaco
When asked by Pit Debrief what he feels is the biggest misconception about what it takes to be quick around Monaco, Dunne gave a direct answer before expanding on the confidence required to commit fully through the streets.
“I think the simple answer is big balls. No, I mean, to be honest, I think as a driver, you don’t necessarily realize how close you get to the walls in some scenarios. For example, when I watched back my pole lap last year, obviously I knew I was on the limit and I could feel that I was pushing to the limit of what I could.”
“But when you look back in some cases, you don’t actually realize how close you are to the wall. I think it’s just a natural feel. And I think, you know, the level nowadays is so high that all the drivers are so comfortable with being on the limit and getting really close to the walls and maximizing every little, every last little bit out of the car and using all the track available.”
“So I think it’s something that you don’t necessarily realize and something that a lot of us feel comfortable with. And I think for me, specifically on the final push of quali, you kind of almost push to the point that you’re not necessarily comfortable with. You kind of push that a little bit more than what you maybe think you should, because that’s when the lap time really starts to come.”
“So I think through quali, you build up to it and you start pushing more and more and more. And then that last lap is when you give it everything.”
Qualifying set to define Dunne’s Monaco F2 weekend
Monaco rewards commitment, but it also punishes even the smallest error. The round’s soft and supersoft tyre allocation, high chance of Safety Cars and narrow layout all place extra importance on timing and track position.
For Dunne, the target remains clear. A repeat pole would be ideal, but he does not need to force the weekend into a statement result. After a Canada podium helped rebuild momentum, a clean Monaco qualifying and strong points finish could prove just as valuable in keeping his championship challenge alive.
