Alex Dunne got behind the wheel of the GEN3Evo NEOM McLaren for the second time around Tempelhof Airport for the Berlin E-Prix Rookie Test.
As the NEOM McLaren reserve and test driver, Dunne has been at many of the Formula E races watching the team operate as Taylor Barnard has climbed to an impressive level in his rookie year. He got his first opportunity to step into the Machinery himself back in the FP0 session in Jeddah.
Berlin had the added complication of the threat of rain, with both races coming under fire of mixed conditions running. Dunne joked when speaking to FFN before the weekend that part of him hoped it would be wet running for the Rookie test. Claiming the GEN3Evo cars look ‘fun’ in the treacherous conditions.
He said, “I’d like it to be wet, actually. Only because the cars look so horrendous to drive in the rain. There’s something that’s cool as a driver when you have very, very little grip, and it’s really difficult to drive. That looks kind of fun, so I’m hoping it’s wet.”
Dry running and driving adjustments
Unfortunately for Dunne, the Rookie test was the only day without rain. Allowing for a completely dry session for all the drivers. However, the Irishman still held his own in the test. He finished the morning session in ninth and improved to fifth for the afternoon session.
Preparing for driving a Formula E car is far different from the usual single-seater Dunne races in Formula 2. This comes with its own challenges to getting up to speed and performing.
The Rodin F2 driver spoke about this jump and said:
“It is quite a big jump, to be honest. I think you can almost say that pretty much everything I’ve learned and the way I would drive an F2 car you can pretty much forget about when you’re in FE. I think pretty much in all aspects. Whether it’s a race run or a quali run, it’s completely different.”
“Not necessarily you have to relearn but just the general way of manipulating what the car is doing and what you make it do as a driver is completely different to what you would do in F2. So it’s quite a big change. I think it’s something that would take longer to get used to than you’d expect.”
F2 is currently faster than the GEN3Evo cars. Dunne noted that this should make the transition between cars easier. Although, in reality, it offers up a different score of issues.
He told FFN, “In general, I think the FE cars are slower than F2 and normally when you’re taking a step back. Let’s say, it’s always easier to adapt. But I think because the car is so different. It takes quite a while to get used to it. But I think having a full day will give you the best opportunity.”
The importance of adaptability
The GEN3Evo wasn’t the only new machinery that Dunne has tested, aside from the Berlin Rookie Test, the McLaren junior also stepped into Lando Norris’ MCL39 for FP1 in Austria.
Dunne was clear in stating the importance as a driver to be able to adapt, and get into a car you’re not used to but quickly become accustomed to. He recognised that very little of what he learnt from the FE cars he’ll use when he returns to F2. However, it is still an asset for a driver to show their capabilities.
He explained, “I think you can kind of look at it in two ways. I think as a driver, it’s always very good to be able to adapt to different things. Of course, I think realistically what I would learn in terms of a driver informally. I would never necessarily bring forward to F2 because it’s so different.”
“But I think to have the opportunity to go out and show that as a driver, you’re able to adapt and be quick in no matter what car you’re driving. I think that’s the more important thing. I would say. If you go out on Monday as a rookie, let’s say, and you do a good job, and you’re fast. It’s good to be able to show that he’s able to be consistent and fast in all the different categories. I think that’s probably the most important thing as a young driver.”
Working with NEOM McLaren
Finally, Dunne spoke on the valuable things he learns just from working in and around the team on the weekend as a reserve driver. Not just from Taylor Barnard and Sam Bird but also the engineers, and team members.
“Of course, I think the team do a very good job in the way they work. I think there’s a very, very good team of engineers. Taylor and Sam are also two very good drivers.” He continued, “I’ve known Taylor for a long time. I’ve now known Sam since the beginning of the year and I think also seeing how they work as drivers. How they approach a weekend, the difference between their driving styles and how they like the car set up and different things like that.”
Dunne emphasised that continuing to learn is one of the most important aspect on non-race weeks. He said, “I think you’re always learning and like I said, even if it’s very different from F2. I think it’s still always good to keep your brain working and keep on learning new things and understanding the different aspects of motorsport. So for me, it’s been very, very beneficial. I think definitely there are a lot of things to take away from it.”
With NEOM McLaren leaving the series after London, it is unclear if Dunne will find himself a reserve role elsewhere in Formula E. However, either way the experiences he’s had in the last year, as well as performances in the Rookie Test have shown him to be the impressive up-and-coming driver he continues to be in F2.
