F2 – Grand Prix de Belgique – Race: Dunne triumphs in rainy Spa to retake the championship lead

Alex Dunne won the main race of the Belgian Grand Prix in Formula 2 under challenging conditions, taking the lead in the championship in the process. The Rodin Motorsport driver expertly navigated the wet conditions at Spa-Francorchamps to secure his third victory of the season.

A cautious start under Safety Car

The weather conditions caused the cancellation of the main F3 race earlier in the day. The F2 race was able to start, but behind the safety car due to heavy rain and reduced visibility.

Starting from pole position after a dominant qualifying, Dunne led the pack on a drenched track. Ritomo Miyata, second on the grid, accompanied the Irishman on the front row. Roman Stanek tried to take second place from Miyata at La Source, but a spectacular slide at Eau Rouge forced him to give up the position.

The reigning champion Richard Verschoor found himself in a tricky position, eleventh on the grid after his Saturday troubles. Jak Crawford, another title contender, started even further back in fourteenth position.

Dunne flies away in the rain

Once the conditions were deemed acceptable, the race resumed its normal course. Dunne immediately pulled away, creating a gap of nearly two seconds in the first lap. The McLaren development driver enjoyed perfect visibility at the front, unlike his pursuers who were engulfed in the spray.

Miyata maintained the pressure in second position while Stanek consolidated third place. Arvid Lindblad, starting fifth, kept a close watch on Victor Martins in an attempt to gain a position.

The conditions have not improved. Several drivers reported the critical state of their tires by radio, while Leonardo Fornaroli described the track as impassable. Verschoor lost ground, dropping out of the points after being overtaken by Dino Beganovic and Luke Browning.

The stops restart the race

From the seventh lap, the first drivers began their mandatory pit stop. Sebastián Montoya, Kush Maini, and Sami Meguetounif gambled on an early stop to put on new rain tires.

Martins received a first warning for repeatedly exceeding track limits, then a five-second penalty, quickly followed by a second five-second penalty. The Frenchman’s pit stop became complicated with these ten seconds to serve.

Dunne continued to lead, but his advantage eroded in the face of attacks from Miyata. The Japanese driver closed to within a few tenths in the final sectors, taking advantage of the degradation of the Irishman’s tires.

In the eleventh lap, Gabriele Minì, Beganovic, Fornaroli, and Verschoor dove into the pits. Martins followed them on the next lap, serving his penalties. Stanek and Martí followed suit as the rain intensified.

Last laps under pressure

The leaders reacted in turn. Dunne emerged from the pits in fourth position but maintained the theoretical lead of the race. Stanek immediately tried to attack him at Les Combes, without success. Miyata slipped into third position behind the two leaders.

Oliver Goethe, who had not yet made his stop, slowed down the pack. Dunne took the opportunity to regain the lead on the track by overtaking the German at Pouhon. In the maneuver, Stanek lost his second place to Miyata, while Lindblad seized the opportunity to move into third.

The turning point occurred on the seventeenth lap. Miyata lost control of his car at the exit of Pouhon and spun out. The Japanese driver’s mistake promoted Lindblad and Stanek to the provisional podium, more than four seconds behind Dunne.

Double Safety Car and red flag

The race shifted at the eighteenth lap. Montoya lost control on the way up to Eau Rouge and came to a stop, triggering the intervention of the safety car. Dunne’s lead vanished in an instant, but the Irishman maintained the lead.

Verschoor attempted a final gamble by making a second pit stop under the safety car, hoping to benefit from a possible twist. Several drivers at the back of the field adopted the same strategy.

The hopes for a thrilling finish vanished definitively when Goethe’s car caught fire on the Kemmel straight. With smoke and flames escaping from the engine, the German driver made an emergency stop. The race marshals immediately brought out the red flag.

A new leader in the championship

The race therefore ended on the twenty-second lap, having covered the minimum distance required for the allocation of full points. Dunne claimed his third victory of the season ahead of Lindblad and Stanek. The podium honored three drivers who managed the difficult conditions perfectly.

Miyata finished fourth despite going off track, ahead of Browning who made a great comeback from twelfth place. Martí, Fornaroli, Minì, Beganovic, and Martins completed the top ten.

This victory allows Dunne to seize the championship lead with 137 points. Verschoor, out of the points, drops to second place with 122 points and loses his first position. Leonardo Fornaroli completes the virtual podium with 121 points, now ahead of Jak Crawford, who drops to fourth place with 116 points after this points-less race. Luke Browning rounds out the top 5 drivers with 108 points.

In the constructors’ standings, Campos Racing remains in the lead with 183 points, ahead of Invicta Racing by 15 points (168 points). Hitech TGR occupies third place with 154 points, followed by DAMS Lucas Oil in fourth position with 142 points. Rodin Motorsport and MP Motorsport share fifth place, both with 139 points each.

The Formula 2 paddock heads straight to Budapest for the final round before the summer break. Round 10 at the Hungaroring takes place from August 1-3.

The next round will take place in Budapest, where Dunne will try to confirm his takeover in conditions likely more favorable than those encountered in the Belgian Ardennes.