logo
Alex Dunne grabs maiden F2 pole at prestigious Monaco Grand Prix

Alex Dunne grabs maiden F2 pole at prestigious Monaco Grand Prix

RTÉ News​23-05-2025

Alex Dunne has claimed his maiden pole position in FIA Formula 2 after setting the fastest time in Friday's qualifying session for the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Offaly native, has already enjoyed a stellar season to date in the final feeder series leading to Formula One, winning the feature races in Bahrain and Imola, which has left him top of the drivers standings.
The McLaren development driver has an opportunity to extend that championship lead at an iconic Monaco street circuit where qualification is more paramount than at any other venue.
The 19-year-old, who drivers for the Rodin team in F2, made his way round the Monte Carlo streets in a time of 1:21.142 , three thousands of a second faster than Victor Martins of ART Grand Prix, which ensured that he will start from pole for Sunday's feature race.
🏁 CHEQUERED FLAG 🏁
BY THREE THOUSANDTHS OF A SECOND, ALEX DUNNE GRABS POLE!!!
A 1:21.142 secures the championship leader pole position for Sunday's Feature Race #F2 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/IQJDfxLbDi
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) May 23, 2025
Next up for Dunne in Monaco will be Saturday's sprint race, before the feature race the following morning which will precede the F1 race.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Outrageous £50m supercar collection for sale after icon's death – including motor that was once fastest in the world
Outrageous £50m supercar collection for sale after icon's death – including motor that was once fastest in the world

The Irish Sun

time15 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Outrageous £50m supercar collection for sale after icon's death – including motor that was once fastest in the world

AN OUTRAGEOUS collection of McLaren supercars valued at an estimated £50 million are set to be sold following the death of their owner - a motorsport icon closely tied to the McLaren Formula One team. The fleet of cars, one of the largest McLaren collections in the world, belonged to Mansour Ojjeh, a French-Saudi entrepreneur who was the former owner of TAG Heuer and a major shareholder in the McLaren Group. 5 Mansour Ojjeh's iconic £50m McLaren car collection set to be sold after his passing Credit: 5 Ojjeh's pristine 20-car McLaren collection features the final chassis of each model Credit: 5 The crown jewel of the collection is the final McLaren F1, hailed as the greatest road car ever Credit: 5 McLaren honoured Ojjeh with a unique colour, 'Mansour Orange,' featured across his fleet Credit: 5 Ojjeh (left), shown here in 2006 alongside Ron Dennis, McLaren's former team principal, CEO, and co-owner, played a pivotal role in their success Credit: Getty The businessman spent four decades working in F1 and helped transform the British team into one of the sport's greatest ever in terms of success and standing. He also played a key role in launching their line of road cars, which started with the mythical McLaren F1 in 1992. But Ojjeh passed away at the age of 68 in June 2021, leaving behind his personal collection of 20 pristine McLarens - with all of them said to be the final chassis number of each model. They include iconic machines such as the Speedtail, P1, Senna and, naturally, the F1, considered the collection's 'jewel in the crown'. Read more Motors News His family has now decided the time is right for his range of high-performance motors to be sold to a new home, with leading classic car dealer, Tom Hartley Jnr, appointed by the Ojjeh's family to facilitate the sale. While the F1 model has covered just 1,810km and the P1 GTR was used occasionally during McLaren track days, every other car remains unused in factory-delivered condition. They were also maintained under direct instruction by McLaren itself, which is a service no other collector has ever received. Parting with this very personal collection is not easy Kathy Ojjeh, widow of Mansour Ojjeh As reported by Most read in Motors "It was more than business, it was pure passion and it was in that vein that he curated this unique collection of McLaren road cars. 'The 'Last of Legends' car collection is a treasure for our family – a reminder of the hours we witnessed Mansour designing each car to his specifications. The McLaren 765LT - powerful, light and track focused "He had an unusual talent for detail that stuns and impresses, a talent driven by the very passion he nurtured for so many years with McLaren. 'Parting with this very personal collection is not easy, but it is time for it to go to its new custodian, one who truly 'gets it' and will cherish owning and caring for it the way Mansour did.' Hartley Jnr added: 'I'm truly humbled that the Ojjeh family has entrusted my business with the sale of their incredible collection. 'I had the privilege of meeting Mansour on a few occasions, and his attention to detail and appreciation for the finer things in life are clearly reflected in the collection that remains today. 'Offering this collection for sale would be extraordinary in its own right, but the fact that it comes from the home of one of McLaren Automotive's founding figures, a man so instrumental in McLaren's Formula 1 success, makes it truly unrepeatable.' This isn't Hartley Jnr's first rodeo, as earlier this year he sold Bernie Ecclestone's collection of 69 historic Grand Prix and F1 cars for approximately £500m, making it one of the biggest car deals in history. The 41-year-old, who counts billionaires and royalty in his exclusive book of contacts, eventually flogged the cars to Mark Mateschitz, the billionaire co-owner of the Red Bull energy drink firm. He added: 'For me, the highlight of the collection is, of course, the F1. This is the most significant McLaren road car collection ever assembled Tom Hartley Jnr 'It's widely regarded as the greatest road car ever built, and this particular example is the very last one produced. 'It has only just over 1,800km from new and comes directly from Mansour Ojjeh, who, alongside Bruce McLaren and Ron Dennis, was instrumental in shaping the history of the marque. 'I have no doubt this will fetch a world record price for the model when it's sold. 'There are so many other remarkable cars in the collection, each one completely unique and the final example of its model ever built. 'One especially poignant example is the Elva, delivered after Mansour's passing. 'In an extraordinary gesture of respect, McLaren replaced the manufacturer's badges on the front and rear with Mansour's own emblem - a tribute to one of their founders. 'This is the most significant McLaren road car collection ever assembled, and I sincerely hope it is acquired by a single buyer, just as the Ecclestone Grand Prix collection was which we sold earlier this year.' Each car is also notably finished in 'Yquem' – a unique shade likened to orange or Papaya – which McLaren subsequently renamed 'Mansour Orange'. Reports suggest the collection could sell for more than $70m - which is roughly £50m. THE FUTURE'S ORANGE This comes as, back in April, It could see the iconic British marque begin to produce SUVs and other types of vehicles – much like rivals Porsche, Aston Martin and Lamborghini have done in recent years. McLaren Automotive, which is a separate entity from their famous F1 team, was sold to Abu Dhabi investment group CYVN Holdings back in December. But CYVN also backs a number of other brands, including British EV start-up Forseven and Chinese EV maker Nio. Reports suggest they now plan to merge McLaren with Forseven in a radical makeover, enabling McLaren to widen its model range beyond supercars, including the potential introduction of SUVs. McLaren has suffered financial losses in recent years and has engaged in talks with several other carmakers to form partnerships and to secure new funding. However, these talks failed to materialise and brought about negotiations with CYVN. British brands such as Bentley and Aston Martin, and their Italian rivals Ferrari and Lamborghini, have all built SUVs and launched SUV-sized models in recent years. These in turn have helped increase their sales and profits. Porsche, another luxury carmaker famed for its sports cars, infamously produced the Cayenne in 2002 to a mixed reception. However, the high-performance SUV has been a mighty success for the company and ensured their financial stability in the 2000s.

Lando Norris holds off Piastri to win Austrian F1 GP after Verstappen crashes out early
Lando Norris holds off Piastri to win Austrian F1 GP after Verstappen crashes out early

Irish Times

timea day ago

  • Irish Times

Lando Norris holds off Piastri to win Austrian F1 GP after Verstappen crashes out early

Lando Norris won the Austrian Grand Prix after a tightly contested, tense battle with his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri. The pair delivered an immense fight but the British driver held the upper hand to take the flag. However world champion Max Verstappen's title hopes took a huge setback when the Dutchman was knocked out of the race on the opening lap, having been struck by the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli. Ferrari enjoyed a strong return at the Red Bull Ring, with Charles Leclerc third and Lewis Hamilton in fourth. George Russell was fifth for Mercedes. Having clashed at the last round in Canada, hearts must have been in mouths at McLaren as Norris and Piastri vied to thrilling effect over the opening third of the race, ducking and diving at one another in what was a bravura display that remained nip and tuck all the way to the flag. However it was Norris who held his nerve and the edge over his team-mate and closed out the win with superb control. No little redemption and an enormously resilient comeback after his misjudgement in hitting Piastri in Montreal. READ MORE He has closed the gap to Piastri to 15 points but for Verstappen, the title now looks to be a monumental mountain to climb. He was unceremoniously smashed into by an over-eager Antonelli at turn three on the first lap, the world champion's race over in seconds as he now trails Piastri by 61 points, a gap that appears all but insurmountable given the pace advantage McLaren already enjoy over Red Bull. The victory is a huge fillip for Norris in what looks likely to be an even more closely-fought title fight with Piastri. Norris badly needs to demonstrate he is still very much in the game and did so emphatically in Austria, with a dominant pole followed by an equally controlled and assured victory, his third of the season and one indicative that he is determined not to allow his team-mate to take charge of the championship battle. More importantly it might suggest something of a turning point for the British driver. He has struggled a little this season, lacking the responsive feel from the front axle of the car he likes to push it to the limit through corners and it has caused him issues, particularly in qualifying. However McLaren brought a major upgrade to Austria with front and rear aero improvements but vitally for Norris, also on his car is a front suspension development they were hoping would give him the feel he requires. In the race he was clearly enjoying a car beneath him that was positively purring as he tickled it beneath the eaves of the Styrian mountains. This was the Norris who entered the season as title favourite and who, on this form, may yet reassert that role over Piastri. Red Bull's Dutch driver Max Verstappen and Mercedes' Italian driver Kimi Antonelli crash. Photograph: Erwin Scheriau/APA/AFP via Getty Norris led the field away, holding place as Piastri moved up to second past Leclerc through turn one, only for a safety car to be called almost immediately. Antonelli went in far too hot at the tight right-hander of turn three and clattered into Verstappen who had started in seventh, ending both drivers' races. 'I got hit, like crazy. F**king idiots,' was Verstappen's blunt assessment. He had qualified out of position, unlucky with a yellow flag and it left him in a more vulnerable position but he was not at fault and the Dutchman was hugely unlucky to take such a severe blow to his title ambitions. Racing resumed on lap four and Norris held his lead with ease through the restart from Piastri with Leclerc third and Hamilton fourth. Piastri immediately began to pressure Norris as the pair opened a gap out front running line astern and with a huge pace advantage over the field. Piastri, with DRS, was all over Norris's gearbox with the British driver unable to break away. The pair went wheel-to-wheel side-by-side throughout the opening corners of lap 11, barely inches apart in a gripping tussle. Piastri edged ahead only for Norris to come back at him. Norris just held on as they battled hard but clean in a race of their own. The pressure on Norris was immense as the contest continued but the British driver held his nerve and the place. On lap 20 Piastri once more had a look into turn four but could not make it and he locked up. Through the two sets of pit stops there was little between them and in the final third Piastri was undeterred and once more closed to within three seconds with 10 laps to go and Norris had to keep his head down as he navigated traffic and attempted to maintain the lead. It was a tense, gripping finale. Piastri moved to just under two seconds but Norris had iron will out in front, flawless to check out the final laps and take the flag. Meanwhile, Ireland's Alex Dunne finished second in the Austrian Grand Prix feature race on Sunday but was later disqualified as his Formula 2 title rival Richard Verschoor claimed victory. Formula 2 issued a statement revealing the DQ over an issue with dimensions on Dunne's car. Dunne will next turn his attentions to F2's British Grand Prix next weekend, the eighth round of 14 in the 2025 calendar. – Guardian

Two-horse race – Christian Horner concedes Max Verstappen title bid all but over
Two-horse race – Christian Horner concedes Max Verstappen title bid all but over

Irish Examiner

timea day ago

  • Irish Examiner

Two-horse race – Christian Horner concedes Max Verstappen title bid all but over

Christian Horner has conceded Max Verstappen's bid to win a fifth consecutive world championship is all but over as he proclaimed a two-horse race between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for the title. Verstappen is 61 points behind Piastri – the equivalent of two and a half victories – after he was punted out of Red Bull's home race in Austria by Kimi Antonelli on the opening lap. Lando Norris saw off Piastri as McLaren secured a one-two finish to cement their dominance. Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda finished 16th, last and two laps down on a miserable afternoon for the team which two years ago won all but one of the 23 races staged. DRIVER STANDINGS (after 11/24 rounds) Norris closes the gap to Piastri to 15 points 👀#F1 #AustrianGP — Formula 1 (@F1) June 29, 2025 There are still 13 rounds remaining, but Red Bull team principal Horner said: 'The buffer McLaren has is significant. It looks very much like a two-horse race. 'You could see how McLaren are racing each other. They've got a cushion to the rest. For us we just focus on one race at a time. We don't even think about championships. 'What's truly impressive is when you look at how close Oscar is able to run behind Lando with a car fat on fuel, at the beginning of the race, and he's basically making love to his f****** exhaust pipe lap after lap after lap and the tyres are not dying. 'That is their advantage. I can't see any other car that would be able to follow that closely and not grain the front tyres or the rear tyres.' Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri celebrate their one-two in Austria (Darko Bandic/AP) Verstappen has so often dominated in Austria, winning five times here, and, until Saturday, took the last four pole positions. But the Dutchman called his car 'undriveable' in qualifying on his way to taking a lowly seventh grid spot. And his race ended at the third corner when Antonelli arrived like a torpedo to T-bone his Red Bull. 'I'm out, got hit, like crazy,' Verstappen said over the radio. 'F****** idiots.' Antonelli was penalised by the stewards with a three-place grid drop for next weekend's British Grand Prix. The Italian teenager, who accepted blame for the crash, was also sanctioned with two points on his licence. 'It was unlucky, just like qualifying yesterday, but overall we didn't have great pace,' Verstappen said. 'We have a lot of learnings as to how we can do better next weekend. It was not an ideal result today. 'We try to do our best and my mentality doesn't change. We have won a lot in the past and sometimes you have to accept when you are not winning.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store