Teenager Alex Dunne has made history by becoming the first Irish driver to win a race in Formula 2.
Dunne, 19, dominated in Bahrain in Formula 2’s landmark 200th race.
Starting fourth on the grid, the McLaren development driver took the lead on lap seven and won by 8.2 seconds ahead of British driver Luke Browning.
After celebrating with his Rodin Motorsport team, Dunne was congratulated by McLaren CEO Zak Brown and there was an emotional embrace with his father, Noel.
“I have no words, to be honest,” Dunne said after his first win on the Formula 1 support series.
“All the race runs in testing were quite positive, I knew the pace was there to do something good but I didn’t expect this.”
After a dramatic sprint race on Saturday, where Dunne was involved in a number of skirmishes that saw him finish outside of the points, his drive on Sunday is a reminder of why he has been tipped for a bright future since winning the British F4 title in 2022.
He got the perfect start from fourth on the grid to slot into second behind reigning Formula 3 champion Leonardo Fornaroli, and made a move for the lead on the seventh lap with a lunge into the first corner.
The Offaly driver controlled the race from there, only losing the lead through the cycle of pit stops, and was able to cruise to the chequered flag ahead of Williams junior driver Browning and Fornaroli.
“I was disappointed after yesterday. I wasn’t happy with the job I did so I think I’ve redeemed myself and bounced back really well,” added Dunne.
When asked if he could challenge for the championship in his rookie season, Dunne said “it’s too early to say”.
“I think I’m driving at a good level at the minute, so I feel if I can continue the good form then I don’t see why we won’t be contenders.”
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