Latest news with #F2
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Automotive
- BreakingNews.ie
Ireland's Alex Dunne takes Formula 2 lead after win in Belgium
Alex Dunne is the new leader of the Formula Two drivers championship title race. The Offaly teenager won Sunday's Belgian F2 Feature Race at a rain-soaked Spa. Advertisement It's the third race victory of the season for the junior McLaren driver, who now holds a 15-point leader over his title rivals. "That was really tough!" 🥵 @McLarenF1 Junior Driver, Alex Dunne, had to work hard for his third #F2 victory of the season 👏🥇 #BelgianGP — Formula 2 (@Formula2) July 27, 2025
The 42
3 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Alex Dunne slips to fourth in F2 standings after finishing seventh in Belgium sprint race
ALEX DUNNE HAS slipped back to fourth place in the Formula 2 Drivers' Championship after taking seventh in the sprint race at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. Dunne, who will start tomorrow's feature race in pole position, was aiming to close the gap on current leader Richard Verschoor today. But his seventh-place finish in a time of 41:54.105 sees him drop from third to fourth on 110 points. The Offaly man has been overtaken by Leonardo Fornaroli who won the sprint race in 41:49.222 to put him on 114 points. Jak Crawford is currently second on the Drivers Championship leaderboard with 116 points. Your point scorers from an incredible Saturday Sprint at Spa! 👀✨#F2 #BelgianGP — Formula 2 (@Formula2) July 26, 2025 Advertisement Dunne will start Sunday's feature race in pole position after clocking the fastest time in Friday morning's free practice session. He set the fastest time in qualifying as well, his best time of 1:57.151 topping the pile by more than four-tenths of second as he claims his second pole position of the season.
The 42
4 days ago
- Sport
- The 42
Alex Dunne sets blistering standard to take F2 pole in Belgium
OFFALY TEENAGER ALEX Dunne will start in pole position for Sunday's Formula 2 feature race at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. Dunne, who currently sits third in the F2 drivers' championship with six rounds remaining, clocked the fastest time in Friday morning's free practice session, and then backed that up by setting the fastest time in qualifying as well. Advertisement Dunne's best time of 1:57.151 topped the pile by more than four-tenths of second, earning the 19-year-old his second pole position of the season. He returns to action on Saturday afternoon (12.45pm Irish time) for the sprint race, where he'll be hoping to close the gap on championship leader Richard Verschoor.
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- RTÉ News
Alex Dunne dominates F2 qualifying to seize Spa pole for Belgian Grand Prix
Alex Dunne dominated FIA Formua 2 qualifying at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit to seize pole position for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix by a significant margin. The Offaly native, who moved back up to third in the F2 drivers' championships standings after a second-place finish at a rain-sodden British Grand Prix feature race earlier this month, was in blistering form throughout the practice and qualifying sessions in Belgium on Friday. The Rodin driver and McLaren junior set a time of 1:57.151, more than four-tenths of a second clear of Japanese driver Ritomo Miyata. Championship leader Richard Verschoor missed out on the top ten, qualifying 11th, almost a full second (0.845) down on Dunne's time. DUNNE GOES EVEN QUICKER!? 😱 The Irishman is in a class of his own today... 🥵 #F2 #BelgianGP — Formula 2 (@Formula2) July 25, 2025 American Jak Crawford, who pipped Dunne to victory at Silverstone three weeks ago, was only able to qualify 14th. Dutchman Verschoor and Crawford are 12 and six points ahead of Dunne in the drivers' standings, with points at play in Saturday's Belgian sprint race and Sunday's feature race, the latter of which the Irishman will start on pole for, with a huge opportunity to propel his title hopes at his nearest rivals' expense. Dunne has won two feature races this year in Bahrain and at Imola, and recently became the first Irish driver to feature in a Formula One grand prix session for 22 years when he took part in Friday first practice ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix. Meanwhile, the F1 championship is also resuming this weekend after a three-week break, with sprint qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix later on Friday afternoon, with qualifying for the grand prix on Saturday and the race itself on Sunday.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
Fears for future of iconic F1 track that's set to disappear from calendar after years of drama and tragedy
FOR Formula One fans, few race tracks capture the pure essence of motorsport racing quite like Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps. Located in the Ardennes forest, the 7km circuit has a special place in the hearts and history of F1 and beyond. 5 5 5 5 Whether it's the tricky La Source (Turn One), the breathtaking ride up Eau Rouge and Raidillon (Turn Three, Four and Five) or the sweeping double left-hander at Pouhon (Turn 12), there is something to get every petrol head excited. And that is not to mention the countless iconic races which have graced F1 there over the years - with Belgium being one of the original grand prix in F1's first season in 1950. From Michael Schumacher 's maiden F1 win at Jordan in 1992 to Lewis Hamilton 's epic battles with Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel in 2008 and 2018 respectively, raceday there is rarely dull. Indeed, reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen named it as one of the six circuits which should have protected status on the calendar, alongside Silverstone, Suzuka, Interlagos, Zandvoort and Imola. However, the modern pressures of F1 - which has seen the demand for glitz and glam skyrocket as scores of influencers and celebs with only a passing interest in the sport choke out those who genuinely care - mean some of the most iconic tracks on the calendar are at risk. Imola has lost its contract from next season in place of another controversial street track in Madrid, while Zandvoort is celebrating the final Dutch Grand Prix in 2026. Spa's place in the F1 calendar has already been reduced to a rotation piece for the next six years, with its absence sure to be felt in 2028 and 2030 in the wake of potential new venues such as Thailand or Argentina. However, gone are the days when the relative danger of a circuit is tolerated by FIA and F1 chiefs. F2 driver Anthoine Hubert tragically lost his life following a high-speed multi-car collision at Raidillon in 2019, while four years later Dutch driver Dilano van 't Hoff was also killed in the same spot during a race in Formula Regional. Circuit chiefs responded in 2022 by investing in gravel traps, widening run-off areas and moving barriers, but some said the changes did not go far enough. Wet races there are a particular concern too, with the 2021 Belgium Grand Prix being abandoned after just two laps driven behind the safety car due to the almost non-existent visibility on the track. The spray issue of F1 tyres is far from Spa's fault, but a growing desire for races in parts of the world where weather conditions are more guaranteed, such as the Middle East or even the warmer states in the USA, mean money talks. A record 380,000 fans attended the F1 weekend in Spa last year, yet lucrative money-spinning deals with new tracks including Las Vegas and Miami in the expanding US market are choking an already congested calendar. Indeed, the move to three races in the States came before the release of the new F1 movie. The film, produced by Apple and starring Brad Pitt, broke box office records as it grossed $463million worldwide on a reported budget of $200-$300m. Spa is a traditional track, but a fair share of the latest generation of fans following the success of Netflix 's Drive To Survive series and any more after the film tend to be more ensnared by the spectacle of the host tracks. Monaco has suffered the opposite issue to Spa, being a place where the race result is all but decided by Saturday's qualifying due to a lack of overtaking opportunities, but with the glamour to justify its continued existence. The real question for all parties in the coming years is whether F1 is really willing to abandon what made it the most popular motorsport in the world, the racing, in favour of money-spinning events catered for celebs and social media stars. In many ways it could be argued that it represents a battle for the soul of the sport, and some tough debate could be in line for CEO Stefano Domenicali in the future. F1 returns to Spa this weekend after a two-week break in the 2025 season, with the backdrop of Christian Horner 's abrupt Red Bull exit sure to make headlines before any cars even hit the track. 5
