Alex Dunne Finishes Second Austria, Loses F2 Championship Lead

Alex Dunne, the 19-year-old Irish driver and McLaren development driver, finished second in the Formula 2 feature race at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, starting from seventh on the grid and overtaking several competitors with a strong recovery drive. Despite his impressive performance, Dunne was narrowly beaten by Richard Verschoor, who won the race and took a six-point lead in the F2 championship standings. Dunne had entered the weekend with a one-point lead but slipped to second place with 108 points to Verschoor's 114. The weekend was notable for Dunne's historic Formula 1 debut on Friday, where he set the fourth fastest time in FP1, becoming the first Irish driver to compete in an F1 weekend in 22 years. Dunne will next compete at the British Grand Prix in Formula 2, aiming to regain the championship lead with seven rounds remaining. His consistent performances underscore his potential as a rising talent in motorsport.