The F2 qualifying session in Monaco concludes with Dunne on top; however, the young Rodin Motorsport driver’s final result is pending the race director’s decision.
The Formula 2 qualifying session in Monaco ended with Alexander Dunne leading the way, setting a fastest lap of 1:21.142 and temporarily stealing pole position from Victor Martins. The Irish driver, however, must await the outcome of an investigation into a collision at the Rascasse corner involving Mexican driver Villagómez.
Qualifying Report from Monaco
15:55 – Alexander Dunne takes pole position by just three thousandths of a second over Victor Martins. Meanwhile, Montoya spins out at the exit of the Piscines during his final qualifying attempt. The confirmation of Dunne’s pole position is pending the conclusion of an investigation into the incident with Villagómez that occurred early in the session.
15:46 – Sebastián Montoya improves the reference time by 0.102 seconds compared to the driver from Piacenza. Dunne moves to the top with a 1:21.781 lap, ahead of the Colombian driver and Luke Browning. Fornaroli drops to fourth, +0.406 behind the leader.
15:42 – With just over ten minutes remaining, drivers return to the streets of the Principality to fight for pole position. Currently, Leonardo Fornaroli leads the timesheets with a 1:23.782, followed by Max Esterson.
15:38 – RED FLAG! Rafael Villagómez hits the barriers at Rascasse following contact with Alexander Dunne. The session is halted to remove the Van Amersfoort Racing car. This incident will be investigated after qualifying.
15:34 – The second part of the session begins with Group B, made up of drivers with odd numbers, immediately heading out onto the track.
15:28 – The checkered flag waves on the first group of F2 qualifying at Monaco. The fastest driver is Victor Martins of Williams Racing. Following the French driver are Verschoor, Lindblad, Minì, and Maini, who complete the top five ahead of Durksen, Stanek, Cordeel, Beganovic, Meguetounif, and Bennett.
15:25 – Yellow flag due to a long lock-up by Dino Beganovic at Sainte Dévote. The Ferrari Driver Academy driver, currently eighth, manages to rejoin the track and finish the session, while Gabriele Minì attempts to improve his time.
15:23 – With less than three minutes left in Group A qualifying, Richard Verschoor takes the lead, followed by the Red Bull Academy driver.
15:20 – Arvid Lindblad inserts himself between the two drivers leading the timesheets, trailing the French driver by +0.291 seconds, while the PREMA driver reduces his gap to three tenths compared to the leader’s time.
15:17 – No time wasted as drivers immediately begin lowering the times to beat, with Victor Martins completing a lap in 1:21.792, followed by Palermo’s Gabriele Minì at +1.044 seconds.
15:15 – The first reference time is set by Roman Stanek, who finishes his initial attempt in 1:35.350, ahead of Kush Maini and Victor Martins.
15:11 – Green light for drivers with even race numbers to go out first! Pole position will be awarded to the driver with the fastest overall time across both groups, while the fastest driver in the slower group will start second on the grid, alongside the pole sitter. Subsequent grid positions will alternate between the two groups to complete the starting lineup.
14:54 – Group A qualifying for the Formula 2 category on the streets of Monaco is set to begin at 15:05.
With the inaugural Formula 1 session in Monte Carlo wrapped up, the streets of the Principality are preparing to welcome the Formula 2 drivers, ready to battle for pole position in the Sprint Race tomorrow and the Feature Race on Sunday morning.
During yesterday’s sole free practice session for the junior category, the fastest was Victor Martins, followed by Luke Browning and the two Italians, Leonardo Fornaroli and Gabriele Minì. It was here in Monaco that the young Sicilian had dominated during his Formula 3 campaign with two consecutive victories. Could this be the perfect opportunity for the PREMA driver to turn around a difficult start to the season?
Photo: Formula 2.
