Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Dunne stole the spotlight at the Monaco Grand Prix, clinching his first-ever Formula 2 pole position in a dramatic and tightly contested qualifying session. The Irish driver edged out ART’s Victor Martins by just three thousandths of a second in a session that highlighted both skill and chaos.
Unlike typical weekends, Monaco’s unique format split drivers into two groups due to the circuit’s narrow layout. Group A consisted of even-numbered cars, while Group B featured the odd numbers. Each group had 16 minutes to post their fastest lap. The driver with the best overall time would start on pole, with the rest of the grid alternating positions based on times from both groups.
Practice session ahead of the F2 Qualifying in Monaco
Victor Martins dominated the 2025 F2 Monaco GP Free Practice, topping the timesheets with a blistering 1:21.730. He held off strong challenges from Luke Browning and Leonardo Fornaroli, who finished second and third respectively. Gabriele Minì briefly led the session before a late red flag disrupted his lap. Alex Dunne, the current championship leader, struggled with grip and placed eighth. The narrow Monaco streets proved tricky, with multiple yellow flags and a crash from Amaury Cordeel cutting sessions short.
Group A: Martins on Top
Victor Martins led the way in Group A. After setting a blistering 1:21.145 lap, he looked set for pole. The Frenchman fought hard against challenges from Richard Verschoor and Arvid Lindblad, both of whom briefly looked threatening. Verschoor came closest but couldn’t match Martins’ pace. Martins even survived a track limits infringement that briefly deleted one of his laps.
Arvid Lindblad impressed early, but a mistake under pressure saw him lock up and lose time. Despite yellow flags for Dino Beganovic late in the session, Martins’ earlier effort remained unbeaten.
Group B: Dunne Delivers in F2 Qualifying during Monaco GP
Pressure shifted to Group B, where Alex Dunne quickly found himself in the spotlight. After an early red flag caused by Rafael Villagómez’s incident with Dunne, the session resumed with intensity. Dunne’s first flying lap clocked a 1:21.781, but he wasn’t done. On his next attempt, he shaved more time, setting a 1:21.437 and getting closer to Martins.
Then, in the final moments, Dunne pulled out the lap of the day. A stunning 1:21.142 just pipped Martins’ time, snatching pole by a mere 0.003 seconds. Meanwhile, Sebastian Montoya spun late in the session, ruining final laps for several drivers behind him.
Feature Race Grid Set, Sprint Shake-Up
With qualifying complete, Dunne earned pole for Sunday’s Feature Race. Martins will start alongside him. Fornaroli and Verschoor line up on the second row, with Montoya and Lindblad just behind.
However, for Saturday’s Sprint Race, the top 10 from qualifying are reversed. That means Luke Browning and Kush Maini will share the front row, offering another twist in this tight championship battle.
Final F2 Qualifying Results – Monaco GP:
- Alex Dunne – 1:21.142
- Victor Martins – 1:21.145
- Leonardo Fornaroli
- Richard Verschoor
- Sebastian Montoya
- Arvid Lindblad
- Jak Crawford
- Gabriele Minì
- Luke Browning
- Kush Maini
- Ritomo Miyata
- Joshua Dürksen
- Ollie Goethe
- Roman Stanek
- Pepe Martí
- Amaury Cordeel
- Max Esterson
- Dino Beganovic
- Cian Shields
- Sami Meguetounif
- John Bennett
- Rafael Villagómez
