Alex Dunne Secures Podium Finish at Rainy Silverstone to Boost F2 Title Hopes

Alex Dunne rebounded from a setback in the sprint race to enhance his Formula 2 title chances by finishing provisionally in second place in the British Grand Prix feature race at a rain-soaked Silverstone.

After failing to complete the sprint race due to an early collision that pushed him down to fourth in the championship standings, the Offaly teenager secured a podium finish on Sunday by crossing the finish line second, just behind US competitor Jak Crawford.

There are doubts about Crawford's pit entry timing before a late Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed, which could lead to a penalty. This uncertainty means the provisional classification might change, potentially elevating Dunne to the top spot at Crawford's expense.

Dunne, who had qualified second on the grid for the feature race behind pole-sitter Victor Martins, trailed Crawford by about 1.5 seconds for most of the race. However, he closed the gap to just half a second by the end of lap 21 out of 29.

He took the lead on lap 24 when Crawford pitted during a VSC period, although it's unclear if Crawford made it to the pit entry before the VSC was called, which later turned into a full safety car a lap later.

After Dunne made his mandatory pit stop, he fell behind Crawford but managed to retain second place ahead of Luke Browning. The safety car period ended on lap 27, but Dunne's chances of overtaking Crawford were dashed by another safety car on the penultimate lap.

There is still a possibility of a penalty for Crawford, potentially allowing Dunne to secure his third F2 victory of the season after wins in Bahrain and Imola.

Earlier this month, Dunne made history by becoming the first Irishman in 22 years to participate in a Formula One grand prix weekend. He impressed as a McLaren development driver during Friday first practice before the Austrian Grand Prix, setting the fourth fastest time overall while standing in for Lando Norris, the current second-placed driver in the F1 championship.

According to the source: RTE.ie.