‘A great level of maturity’ - Huntingford praises Dunne after Sakhir Feature Race victory

Rodin Motorsport Team Manager Benn Huntingford was full of praise for the performance of his rookie driver Alexander Dunne, following a dominant victory in Sunday’s Sakhir Feature Race.

The Irishman started from fourth on the grid, but a superb getaway helped him into second place by time he got to Turn 1. He then stayed behind pole-sitter and leader Leonardo Fornaroli in the early stages before making a move for the lead on Lap 7.

Dunne then built a sizeable gap out in front, and by the time his Invicta Racing rival pitted on Lap 16, he was over four seconds ahead.

READ MORE: Round 2 Post Feature Race Press Conference

Rodin then made the call to pit the McLaren Development Driver Programme member on Lap 17, and he returned to the track on the Hard tyres, still with the effective race lead.

Despite the efforts of those behind him, including a charging Luke Browning who finished in second, to catch him, Dunne went on to win the race by over eight seconds.

It gave Rodin their second consecutive Feature Race victory in Sakhir, following Zane Maloney’s triumph in 2024, and speaking after the race, Huntingford was delighted with another Bahrain win.

“It's historically been a very strong circuit for us,” he said “So, we are pleased to continue that this weekend.

“Alex has been doing a great job. He has been getting to grips with the car quickly and the changes that there are between F3 and F2, and he has been showing what he can do in the car.”

Browning, in second, was one of the drivers to start on the Hard tyres before finishing on the Softs, and after overtaking Fornaroli for P3, was over four seconds behind Dunne.

FEATURE RACE: Dunne earns impressive maiden F2 victory

With this in mind, the 19-year-old came on the radio to say: “We know Browning’s race pace is as strong as ours, so I am going to use the advantage of the good tyre now to build a gap then and hang on at the end if he gets close.”

The Hitech TGR driver could not get close enough though, as Dunne continued to build the gap between the two until the finish line.

As well as that, Dunne had spoken of the feedback he had given to Rodin about the car during the in-season test, and how the team had adapted the setup to make sure he felt more comfortable behind the wheel.

For Huntingford, the clear radio communications between Dunne and pitwall as well as his feedback on the car are a sign of a maturing driver.

“It was great to hear him under control in the car,” he said. “It was great to hear him having a plan for what he was doing in the race. He showed a great level of maturity there.

“It's also always good when we can rely on the drivers feedback and we are able to make changes to help with their performance, that's a strong place for us to be as a team.”

READ MORE: Round 2 Post-Sprint Race Press Conference

Dunne, Huntingford and Rodin do not have too much time to celebrate this victory as attentions quickly turn to Jeddah for Round 3 this weekend.

The Rodin Team Manager is hopeful they can carry this momentum forward to the high-speed street circuit, and while he cannot guarantee another win, he says he and his team will do all they can to achieve another strong result.

“It's always difficult to look forward,” he added. “We can't be too confident in being able to carry the performance forward. But we will do our best at the next one and hope to get some strong results at the next one.”