Alex Dunne lifts up the runner-up trophy after the Spanish feature race
Alex Dunne has closed the points gap to the Formula 2 drivers’ championship leaders after a podium finish at the Spanish Grand Prix feature race in Madrid on Sunday.
The Offaly man had qualified second on the grid on Friday and stayed in that position for the duration of the main race, finishing runner-up to polesitter Swedish driver Dino Beganovic.
Dunne picked up 19 points for his efforts, adding to the two points he earned in Saturday’s sprint race.
The 20-year-old Rodin Motorsport driver remains fourth in the drivers’ standings on 139 points with three rounds remaining.
But with championship leader Nikola Tsolov (177 points) and second-placed Rafael Camara (170) scoring zero and four points respectively across the weekend, Dunne’s 21-point haul has edged him closer to the duo before F2 heads to Baku for the 24-26 September round.
Last year was Dunne’s debut season in F2 and the Alpine F1 junior finished fifth in the drivers’ standings, winning two feature races along the way at Imola and in Bahrain.
Meanwhile, Derry native Fionn McLaughlin finished 14th in Formula 3’s season-ending feature race which also took place at the Madrid circuit.
The F3 rookie, who is a Red Bull junior, finishes the campaign 27th in the standings with two points.
American driver Ugo Ugochukwu won the drivers’ title on Sunday ahead of British rival Freddie Slater
