Alexander Dunne hit the ground running at Spa-Francorchamps, topping the timesheets in the opening Practice session of the F2 Belgian GP weekend with a confident display of speed and control. The Irish driver delivered a standout performance for Rodin Motorsport, posting a 1:59.519 on his final flying lap to go fastest by 0.399s and set the early benchmark for Round 9 of the season.
Teammate Amaury Cordeel also made his presence felt with a strong P4 finish, adding to a positive opening for the team at one of the most iconic circuits on the calendar. The result gave Rodin Motorsport a strong foundation ahead of what is expected to be a very tactical and closely contested Qualifying session.
“I think I’m happy” – Dunne reflects on a positive opening session
Following the 45-minute session, Dunne spoke about his immediate impressions and expressed satisfaction with both his performance and the pace of the car. His final lap, which came in the closing minutes of the session, put him well clear of his rivals.
“Yeah it felt pretty good. I knew the pace was hopefully going to be pretty good, and it has been. It was a fairly big gap, I didn’t expect it to be like that, but I think in the end, my lap was very good.”
While pleased with the margin, Dunne pointed out that timing and positioning played a major role—particularly in the final sector of the lap, where the slipstream gave him a useful boost.
“I think I also had pretty much the perfect track position, so in that last sector, I probably did get a little bit with the slipstream. So I can’t imagine it’ll be the exact same in Qualifying, but I’m happy the pace is good. The car has been pretty good and it’s around about where I’d like it, so I think I’m happy.”
As the weekend progresses, Dunne believes the solid baseline from Practice puts him in a good position—but insists that the demands of Qualifying at Spa are entirely different. With track evolution, changing weather conditions, and traffic all expected to play a part, he remains focused on execution.
Slipstream crucial for Qualifying
Looking ahead to the crucial Qualifying session, Dunne underlined the significance of the slipstream, especially around a high-speed track like Spa where long straights in Sectors 1 and 3 make aerodynamic drag reduction a powerful weapon.
“I think it’ll probably be the most important factor to be honest. I think putting it on pole I would say is 50% doing a good job, and the other 50% is having a good slipstream.”
He explained that finding the right car to follow—one with solid pace but without being too slow through the corners—is a fine balance. The goal is to gain the benefit of the tow without being forced to lift off mid-lap due to catching the car ahead too quickly.
“I think I would confidently say that it’s nearly impossible to put it on pole if you try and do the lap completely alone. I think having good track position and then making sure that the person in front of you has relatively strong pace as well.”
Timing will be everything in the session, and with multiple drivers likely to be searching for the same optimal conditions, the approach to track position becomes as much a mental and strategic game as a pure driving challenge.
“If you end up catching them too quickly during the lap, it’s also an issue. So it’ll be important to position yourself in the right place on track and behind the right driver as well. It’ll be tricky but I think it should be good.”
Confidence building ahead of Qualifying battle
Dunne’s strong start to the weekend will no doubt bolster his confidence heading into Qualifying, but he knows the job is far from done. Practice delivered encouraging signs for Dunne, but the fight for pole promises to be fiercely competitive. Strategy will matter just as much as outright speed. With rain a constant threat and traffic likely to impact laps, Dunne and Rodin Motorsport must execute their plan flawlessly. Yet based on Friday’s strong Free Practice showing, both driver and team look ready to battle at the front as the weekend progresses.
