F2 | Qualifying | Belgian GP | Dunne storms to pole with dominant display - Motorsport

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Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Dunne delivered a commanding performance to take pole position during Qualifying at the F2 Belgian GP, full report and results below.

A track with long and rich history, Spa-Francorchamps is a place many drivers highlight as one of their favourite tracks to race at yearly. The Qualifying lap around the 7.004km dips slight under the 2-minute mark and poses the challenges of long-straights and high-speed corners for drivers to tackle.

Dunne topped Free Practice this morning, emerging once again as a strong contender for pole position ahead of Qualifying. With just five rounds to go, only 24 points separate the top five in the Drivers’ Standings. Dunne—P3 in the Drivers’ Standings—is just a mere 14 points away from reclaiming his lead on top. As the championship fight continues to unfold closer than ever, a well-executed weekend with points maximised would be extremely beneficial in the Irishman’s championship pursuit.

Qualifying at F2 Belgian GP gets underway!

Green lights at the end of the pit lane as the ninth Qualifying session of the season went underway. 30 minutes ticked down as all drivers headed out on track to set off on preparatory laps. With almost 75% of the lap on full throttle, a tow can be beneficial in finding time around the circuit. After one lap around the track, many drivers headed straight back into the pit lane.

Everyone on track were fighting for track position as they tried to position themselves in a spot to benefit from a tow. Setting the first representative lap of the session, Browning crossed the line with a 1:58.537. Picking up from where he left off, Dunne reclaimed his position on top with a 1:58.340. An ever consistent Fornaroli crossed the line to slot himself into P2 with a 1:58.343—just 0.003s behind Dunne.

Second attempt on same set of tyres

Meanwhile, an impressive lap from Minì was enough to catapult him to P3 after he completed his flying lap with a time of 1:58.418. Many drivers are finding improvements on their second runs. Browning, who was on a lap, had backed out and pitted. However, Verschoor completed his second flying lap to go P7.

Lighting up the timing sheets, Dunne crossed the line with three purple sectors—improving his time to a 1:57.863. The Irishman’s impressive effort now increased the gap to four tenths to Fornaroli who remained in P2. Meanwhile, Verschoor’s teammate Ollie Goethe had his lap time deleted after exceeding track limits. This relegated him to the bottom of the pack and without a lap time. The track died down once again as drivers headed back into the pits for a new set of tyres.

Final laps of Qualifying

Less than ten minutes of the session remained as drivers headed back on track once more. On a fresh set of soft tyres, it was up to the rest of the field to bring the fight to Dunne. Some drivers opted to make their way through the pit lane before slotting behind others on track—attempting to place themselves in a position to benefit from a tow once again.

An in-form Montoya has struggled to put together a lap as he sat in P15. Dunne, on his final run, was still finding more time. Meanwhile, Goethe’s first and only lap was impressive as he catapulted to P2 with a time of 1:57.927. Extending his gap to seven tenths, the Irishman delivered a stunning lap to cement his position on top with a 1:57.151. Next across the line was Miyata with a great lap to slot himself into P2 with a time of 1:57.570.

The two Campos’ of Lindblad and Martí crossed the line to crucially improve to P5 and P6 respectively. This lines them up on the third row for the Feature Race on Sunday. A race against the clock, many drivers did not make it across the line to set off on their final runs of Qualifying. On his final run, championship leader Verschoor failed to improve and was forced to settle for P11. Unbeatable to pole, Dunne claimed his second pole position of the year.

However, for the Sprint Race tomorrow, Goethe and Cordeel will line up on the front row.