Dunne grabs pole by three milliseconds in intense Monaco qualifying

Vyas Ponnuri
7 hours ago
4 min read

Written by Vyas Ponnuri

In a typical Monaco qualifying session, Alex Dunne grabbed pole position by a mere three milliseconds, setting a time quicker than Group A's topper Victor Martins, who will have to settle for a front row start once again, just missing out on pole again in 2025.

Dunne took a special Monaco pole by a mere three milliseconds in Monaco | Credit: Formula 2 via X

Qualifying for Formula 2's Monaco weekend took place with drivers divided in two groups of 11 each. Find out more about how qualifying around Monaco works for F2 and F3 races in the Principality here.

AS IT UNFOLDED

Group A

The first group of drivers took to the track for their qualifying runs around the streets of Monaco. With even-numbered cars taking to the track, it would be eager to see if Victor Martins could convert his practice pace into qualifying and grab pole in Monaco.

The Frenchman was arguably the star of the session, setting and continually bettering the benchmark when he needed a step up.

While it was Richard Verschoor who set the first lap, Martins then laid down a strong benchmark, initially dropping a strong 1:21.792, over a second ahead of two-time F3 pole sitter Gabriele Minì.

Once the entire grid had set their laps, it was still Martins atop the timesheets, while Arvid Lindblad put his Campos in second, just under three tenths off the Frenchman.

While Martins attempted to better his time, a moment of oversteer into the Nouvelle chicane forced him to abort his lap.

The second round of laps saw drivers deal with their own moments of locking up, with Lindblad having his own lock up into the chicane, while Dino Beganovic briefly triggering a yellow flag after going deep into Sainte-Devote, as the Swede commenced his lap.

It would be a disappointing session for the Imola pole-sitter, as he will start the Monaco races from the ninth row of the grid.

Meanwhile, at the head of the field, it was a three-way battle for pole between Lindblad, Verschoor and Martins. The former two managed to better the benchmark, leaving Martins to find a response.

Despite setting a slower first sector, Martins picked up his pace, a purple second sector taking him two tenths clear of Verschoor's time. Another strong final sector meant the ART racer stopped the clock at 0.375s clear of the Dutchman.

Behind them, Alpine juniors Minì and Kush Maini upped their times to finish fourth and fifth in their group, netting themselves top ten starts for the weekend's races.

Group B

A frantic 16 minutes got underway, as drivers emerged onto the racetrack, eager to set their lap times and secure grid spots for the Monaco weekend. An early red flag, however, threw a spanner into the works.

As drivers prepared for their flying laps, Van Amersfoort Racing's Rafael Villagómez moved towards the pit entry, in a bid to get out of the way of anyone lining up for a flying lap. Championship leader Alex Dunne, in a bid to get underway and get his lap in, attempted to pass the Mexican into Anthony Noghes corner, with contact between both drivers sending the Van Amersfoort racer into the barriers.

With his stricken car in the barriers, Villagómez was out of the qualifying session, confined to the rear of the grid for Sunday's race.

With 12 minutes to go, drivers were itching to get their laps in sooner. The tension was visible, with Dunne once again in the thick of action. A move by the Irishman into the chicane sent AIX Racing's Cian Shields scampering across the run off.

Despite being impeded by Trident's Max Esterson at the hairpin, Dunne proved quick enough to move to the head of the timesheets. A 1:21.781 proved quickest, even if the Rodin racer sat six tenths off Martins' time. Sebastián Montoya and Luke Browning set lap times to sit in the top three.

With five minutes to go, drivers set out for their final runs around Monaco. Lock-ups appeared to be the trend, with Red Bull juniors Ollie Goethe and Pepe Martí going deep into Sainte-Devote, while Fornaroli went deep into the Nouvelle chicane.

Dunne improved by over two tenths, lowering the benchmark to a 1:21.437, leaving him three tenths adrift of Martins, with one final run to aim at a prestigious Monaco pole. Montoya and Browning restored their places in the top three, despite the former locking up into turn one on his flying lap.

Dunne then began his flying lap in style, setting purple sectors as he lit up the Monaco circuit, navigating the streets with utmost precision. Finding time in the final sector, the Irish racer stopped the clocks with a 1:21.142, just edging out Martins for pole by a mere three milliseconds.

Behind, a spin for Montoya's PREMA Racing machine on his final lap triggered a yellow flag, just as the clock ticked down to zero.

Montoya held on to third in his group, with Fornaroli up to second, behind Dunne. Browning will line-up on the front row for the Saturday sprint, alongside Maini, who starts the 30-lap Monaco sprint from pole.