F2 – Belgian Grand Prix – Free Practice: Alex Dunne sets the fastest time

Alex Dunne put Rodin Motorsport at the top of the free practice sessions for the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on Friday. The Irish driver completed his best lap in 1:59.519, ahead of Gabriele Minì (PREMA Racing) by 0.399 seconds and Victor Martins (ART Grand Prix) by 0.4 seconds.

The session took place in particularly delicate conditions, with a thick fog covering the Belgian circuit in the early morning. This capricious weather had forced the organizers to cancel the Formula 3 free practice, making the F2 session all the more valuable for the teams.

A cautious start behind the safety car

The drivers took to the track with extreme caution, the session beginning behind the safety car due to poor visibility. Once the green light was given, Roman Stanek (Invicta Racing) set the first benchmark with a time of 2:01.372, using the initial laps to warm up his tires.

Gabriele Minì did not take long to react, improving by 0.529 seconds with a lap in 2:00.843. The Italian from PREMA Racing, a team historically strong on this track with the most pole positions obtained at Spa, seemed set to dominate this morning session.

Three drivers within 63 thousandths

Victor Martins briefly took the lead before Stanek regained the advantage with a 2:00.419. Luke Browning (Hitech TGR) then moved into second place, just one thousandth behind the Czech driver, illustrating the fierce battle unfolding at the top of the standings.

Minì continued on its momentum by going under the two-minute mark with a time of 1:59.918, temporarily widening the gap on its chasers. Martins and Dunne also crossed this symbolic barrier, bringing the leading trio within a tight margin of just 63 thousandths of a second.

Dunne widens the gap at the right moment

While several drivers had chosen to return to the pits, Alex Dunne continued his efforts and took the lead with a lap time of 1:59.838, ahead of Minì by 80 thousandths.

The return to the track by the other competitors did not manage to dislodge Dunne, who even hammered home his lead in the final moments. At the time of the checkered flag, the Rodin Motorsport driver set a final benchmark lap of 1:59.519, extending his lead to nearly four-tenths over Minì.

Some regulatory hiccups

This session was also marked by a few regulatory incidents. Joshua Duerksen had his time deleted for not respecting track limits, while Sami Meguetounif received a black and white flag for the same infraction.

Championship leader Richard Verschoor settled for seventh place, beaten by Ritomo Miyata (ART) in sixth. Arvid Lindblad took eighth position ahead of Duerksen and Stanek, who completed the top 10.

Amaury Cordeel, teammate of Dunne at Rodin Motorsport, and Jak Crawford (DAMS Lucas Oil) finished fourth and fifth.