Alex Dunne stormed to victory in the first Formula 2 Feature Race in Azerbaijan, reigniting his championship hopes in spectacular fashion. The Irishman converted pole position into a dominant win, leading a RODIN Motorsport 1-2 ahead of teammate Martinius Stenshorne, with Dino Beganovic completing the podium.
RODIN had been the team to beat since Thursday's qualifying, with Dunne taking pole and Stenshorne lining up alongside him on the front row. Behind them, Noel Leon of Campos Racing started third, while championship contenders Rafael Camara and Nikola Tsolov found themselves fifth and tenth on the grid, respectively. Gabriele Mini, meanwhile, endured a qualifying to forget and started down in 14th.
Drama struck before the race even began. PREMA's Sebastian Montoya was unable to take the start after crashing on the reconnaissance laps, leaving just 21 cars on the grid. When the lights went out, Dunne got the better launch, converting his pole into the lead into Turn 1. Behind him, Stenshorne struggled initially and came under pressure from Leon, but the Norwegian held on. Further back, Hiyu Yamakoshi stalled and dropped to the rear of the field.
By Lap 4, Dunne had broken the DRS from Stenshorne and was setting fastest laps. Crucially, Camara and Tsolov were making progress, moving up to fourth and eighth. The first pit stops came on Lap 7, with Tsolov leading the super-soft runners in. However, a slow stop from Campos dropped him back, and he was also handed a five-second penalty for a pit lane infringement.
Camara continued his charge, passing Leon on Lap 7 and then moving into second as Stenshorne pitted. But drama unfolded on Lap 8 when Mari Boya stopped on track, bringing out the Safety Car. The leading pair, Dunne and Camara, took advantage to pit. On Lap 12, Ollie Goethe led the field back to green, with Dunne close behind. The Irishman tried a move around the outside of Turn 1 but couldn't make it stick, remaining second. Camara endured a difficult restart, dropping back.
In the closing stages, Dunne controlled the pace and sailed to victory. It was his first win of the 2026 season and a massive boost for RODIN Motorsport. The result blows the championship wide open, especially with Tsolov finishing outside the points after his penalty and slow pit stop. Camara also failed to capitalise after his restart struggles.
For Dunne, this win propels him up the standings and cements his status as a serious title contender. RODIN Motorsport proved they have a competitive package for the challenging Baku street circuit. Meanwhile, rivals like Campos Racing and PREMA will need to regroup quickly if they are to fight back in the remaining rounds.
The second Feature Race is just around the corner, and the battles are sure to intensify. Will Dunne dominate again, or can his rivals respond? Stay tuned.
Baca Juga
Dino Beganovic memenangkan Sprint Race F2 Azerbaijan 2026 di Baku, kemenangan beruntun setelah Madring. Tsolov finis keempat, klasemen semakin ketat.
Dino Beganovic memenangi sprint race F2 Baku 2026, kemenangan keduanya beruntun. Tsolov tetap memimpin klasemen dengan keunggulan 11 poin.
Rodin Motorsport dominan di kualifikasi F2 Baku: Martinius Stenshorne dan Alex Dunne rebut pole position untuk dua feature race. Simak hasil lengkapnya.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!