Championship leader Alex Dunne clinched a thrilling pole position for the F2 Feature Race at Monaco, pipping Victor Martins by just three-thousandths of a second in a nail-biting finish to qualifying.
Rodin Motorsport’s Dunne delivered when it mattered most, setting a stunning 1:21.142s lap time right at the death to steal pole position from ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins, who had looked set for the top spot with his 1:21.145s effort.
The Frenchman will start the Feature Race from second on the grid, with Leonardo Fornaroli completing the top three for Invicta Racing after a strong showing in the slower Group B session.
Split session drama unfolds
As tradition dictates on the tight, twisty streets of Monte Carlo, F2 qualifying was divided into two groups, with even-numbered cars in Group A and odd-numbered entries in Group B. The format sees pole position awarded to the fastest driver overall from both sessions, with the quickest from the slower group starting alongside in second place.
Martins was immediately on the pace when Group A hit the track, establishing himself at the top with a 1:21.792s lap time that left his rivals scrambling for answers. Gabriele Mini for Prema Racing emerged as his closest challenger initially, though over a second adrift of the Frenchman’s benchmark.
Close, but not close enough 😖
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) May 23, 2025
Just three thousandths of a second stood between @VictorMartinsFR and pole position at Monaco 😳
The Williams Academy driver will still start from P2 on Sunday, though 👏#F2 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/S3rPWLeORU
The session saw several lead changes as drivers found their rhythm on the demanding Monaco circuit. Arvid Lindblad briefly threatened Martins’ supremacy, going quickest in the opening sector before losing time through the middle section. Richard Verschoor also had his moment at the top, but Martins responded emphatically with a 1:21.145s lap that put him nearly four tenths clear of the field.
As the chequered flag fell, Martins’ time remained untouchable, setting a formidable target for Group B. Verschoor secured second in the group, followed by Lindblad in third, with Mini, Kush Maini, and Joshua Dürksen rounding out the top six.
Dunne’s strong response
The second session got off to a chaotic start when Rafael Villagomez found the barriers at Anthony Noghes, bringing out the red flag. Replays showed championship leader Dunne attempting to overtake the Van Amersfoort Racing driver at the final corner, leaving the Mexican with nowhere to go—an incident that would later come under investigation.
Once action resumed, Fornaroli initially set the pace before Sebastian Montoya briefly took control. However, Dunne soon announced his intentions, moving to the top of the timesheets and gradually chipping away at Martins’ benchmark from Group A.
With just over three minutes remaining, Dunne posted a 1:21.781s—still six tenths shy of Martins’ target. But the McLaren junior wasn’t finished. His next flying lap saw him go purple in the first two sectors before clocking a 1:21.437s, moving within striking distance of pole position.
As the session entered its final moments, tension reached fever pitch. Dunne found another gear when it mattered most, continuing to improve throughout his final lap to marginally better Martins’ time and snatch pole position right at the death—a margin of just 0.003s separating the two title contenders.
Martins reflects on near-miss
Speaking to media including Pit Debrief after the session, Martins admitted his frustration at missing out on pole position despite setting the fastest time in his group.
Martins explained, “I think it was a bit of a messy session.” I was not really happy about my laps”. “I think my second lap, I did a mistake and so then I was on the back foot for the two more laps in the end.”
“When you do a mistake, they kind of caught me a bit with my first lap, which was really good. But then, you know, you don’t have the same confidence approaching the last two push laps.”
The ART driver acknowledged that track evolution likely played a role in the final outcome, with Group B traditionally holding an advantage. “For sure. Historically, I think the second group always goes a bit quicker, but it always depends, you know, with Red Flag, with how the session is going for the two groups,” he said.
“I just feel like I could have protected myself a bit more from that group, maybe going quicker. Definitely, I knew I was a bit at risk because I was not 100% happy about my lap.”
Martins spoke about the F2 Qualifying format in Monaco
Despite the disappointment, Martins remained philosophical about the F2 qualifying format at Monaco. “I think going in two groups, it’s needed here, I think, for traffic. Probably maybe one year if we have everyone together on the track, it will go well. But probably the next five years, it will be crazy about traffic if we have only one group.”
He suggested that any potential changes should focus on group allocation rather than the format itself: “If there is something to change, but maybe even not, would be how the groups are done, like who is in which group, probably, to have the same, let’s say, strength in the two groups.”
Looking ahead to the weekend’s races, Martins sees an opportunity to bounce back from recent setbacks. “I think Imola was a great weekend until we stalled on the grid. Definitely we know what went wrong there and what we have to do better in terms of operational things. Then I think this weekend is going to be a good one to recover that.”
The Frenchman emphasised his consistent performance throughout the season: “I think consistently we are there in terms of performance, which is the most important thing. We are not trying to chase anything on our side. We are always there in qualifying and other races. Definitely, we just need everything to align at the moment. It’s just about time, I think. Time is now to do it, and I’m sure we’ll be able to deliver.”
Championship implications
With Dunne maintaining his championship lead and securing pole position at the sport’s most prestigious venue, the Rodin driver has sent a clear message to his rivals. However, with Martins consistently running at the front and showing strong pace throughout practice and qualifying, the title fight remains finely poised.
The F2 Sprint Race will see the reverse grid format in operation, with the fifth-fastest driver from the slower group taking pole position. But all eyes will be on Sunday’s Feature Race, where Dunne and Martins will go wheel-to-wheel from the front row in what promises to be a captivating battle through the streets of Monaco.
