Alexander Dunne is targeting pole position after an impressive start to the weekend at Silverstone. The Irishman led free practice with a time of 1:42.065, narrowly beating Raphael Camara into first place.
Speaking in the paddock after the session, the Rodin Motorsport driver was very pleased with the start of round seven and said that both he and the car were already in good shape heading into qualifying.
“It was a good session, I really enjoyed it. Honestly, after every lap the first thing I thought was: this is really fun. I really, really like the track.
“It’s definitely a place I always look forward to coming and going, it’s always a really nice place. I was happy, the balance was good. I feel like I rode pretty well.”
Dunn was one of many to break track restrictions in the first session of the weekend. The high-speed corners around Silverstone and the fluid nature of the track push drivers to their limits and beyond.
Dunn is enjoying huge support this weekend, with plenty of Irish fans in attendance at Silverstone.
This will be a crucial aspect in qualifying as removing a lap will cost even more as the nearly six-kilometre lap means subsequent runs will not be as fast as at Spielberg a week ago.
The Alpine Academy driver pointed to Turns 9 and 15 as the main directions, with Copse and Stowe vital to the lap but easy to overstep.
“It’s difficult, especially at Turns 9 and 15: if you’re a little overexerted or the car is too on edge, it’s quite easy to push it off the track.
“I think I did it a couple of times too. At least it’s the same for everyone. I think everyone’s car balance, at least from what I see, watching F3, looking back at F2 during the session, I think we’re all somewhat similar in the sense that it’s a little more nerve-wracking.
“I think when we go into qualifying, when the tracks are more rubberized and we have softer tires, everything will be a little easier.
“It just gives you a little more comfort moving forward. Hard tires in FP can sometimes be difficult to deal with.
Rodin’s driver hopes to qualify one step better than last year and take pole position this time.
“The grip level is usually on the lower side. And I think in the past the transition from hard to soft was usually about two or three seconds, so that’s a pretty big jump.
“I think mainly in the grip zones and in the high-speed corners you get pretty good grip, so it’s definitely a nicer and more enjoyable car to drive, but also as a driver you’re going to have to take a step forward.”
12 months ago Dunne was also in contention on pole at Silverstone but finished second. He hopes to use this experience, coupled with the excellent platform he received from this morning’s training, to do even better this time around.
“If we can do the same thing we just did, then maybe that will be enough. I feel good. Obviously I have a good idea of where to go based on last year and then after this morning I feel like I’m in a pretty good place. So, I think we just need to go out and drive normally, get a lap in, and I think we’ll have a good chance.”