Motorsport: Alex Dunne aiming to 'keep nose clean' and pick up points after Australia drama

The Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona will offer better opportunities for overtaking manoeuvres compared to the streets of Monte Carlo this weekend.

Alex Dunne of Rodin Motorsport. Pic: Joe Portlock/Getty Images

Back-to-back podiums in the FIA Formula 2 Championship suggests that Offaly's Alex Dunne is looking at the bigger picture as the series gathers pace. A crash with his Rodin Motorsport team mate Martinius Stenshorne in the opening Feature Race in Australia - in just the second lap as they battled for the lead - was hugely disappointing for the current incumbent of the Motorsport Ireland International Driver of the Year award. He received a five place grid penalty for the same race in Miami but has since taken second places in Montreal and Monte Carlo that has jettisoned the Clonbullogue driver onto a points total forty-eight - the same as his team mate Stenshorne, who is in third place.

Now it's all about garnering points as Dunne eyes up closing the fifteen points deficit to championship leader, Italian Gabriele Mini (MP Motorsport).

Speaking at the post race press conference in Monte Carlo, Dunne outlined his goal, "Today was a pretty boring race, but I think in the future, if we can have more boring races, that would be a good thing. Just to stay out of trouble. I think just keep our nose clean and just pick up the points is all I'm trying to do. I think there's no point going into every weekend trying really hard to put it on pole and win the race. If we can just be in the top five all the time, all the way until the end of the year, then that should score pretty good points."

This weekend, the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona will offer better opportunities for overtaking manoeuvres compared to the streets of Monte Carlo.

McLaren has confirmed that Leonardo Fornaroli, who joined the team's Driver Development Programme after his F2 title success, will be making his Formula 1 race weekend debut with the team, driving the MCL40 in place of F1 Champion Lando Norris in Free Practice 1. Ferrari has confirmed that Dino Beganovic (Sweden) will replace Lewis Hamilton for Free Practice 1 duties in the SF-26 in Barcelona.

Last year at Austria's Red Bull Ring, Dunne became the first Irish driver in twenty years to take part in a F1 weekend session when he deputised for McLaren's Lando Norris and set the fourth fastest time in opening practice.

Tomorrow's Sprint race is at 2.15pm and lights-out for Sunday's Feature Race is at 11.25pm (local times).

Meanwhile, Drag Racing makes a welcome return on Sunday with the popular Halfway Drag Races on a closed road section of the N71 between the Halfway roundabout and the turn off for Ballinhassig/Cork Airport. The event, organised and promoted by the West Cork Motorcycle Club, will continue its fundraising role with Blood Bikes South.

Conor MacCarthy, a committee member within the WCMC said, "This event represents everything that is good about motorcycle clubs and grassroots motorsport. It has been built through an enormous volunteer effort by club members, local supporters, riders and families, who are passionate about keeping this tradition alive."

One of the top entries is that of Guinness World Wheelie record holder Ted Brady. The Inniscarra rider will have the same (albeit modified) turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa he rode at Elvington Airfield in North Yorkshire whilst competing during the World Wheelie Championship in August 2017. Indeed, he has intimated that he is contemplating a bid to return to Elvington to beat that same record (fastest motorcycle wheelie over one kilometre - 217.85 mph/350.595 km/h) in the near future.

On Sunday, Brady's 200kg/500brake horsepower will be the target for Dunderrow's Stephen Tobin, Rylane’s Kieran O’Driscoll, Limerick's Karol Davern and Glanmire's Noel Carey - all on various examples of the custom built Suzuki Hayabusa's. The action begins from 11.00am.

The Motorsport Ireland Rally Open Forum in Portlaoise last Wednesday evening wasn't as well-attended as last year. How improvements can be made to seeding competitors for rally events was debated as was Motorsport Ireland's on-line entry system for events that, through the lack of all the details from those completing the forms, is posing additional work for event secretaries. Although it wasn't a requirement to attend, the lack of representatives from the MI affiliated clubs was noticeable.

Reigning British Rally Champion William Creighton has withdrawn his entry for next week's Wilton Recycling Donegal International Rally where had planned to debut a Lancia Ypsilon Rally2. The remainder of the top ten is intact.