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McLaren Youngster Alex Dunne Facing Potential Race Ban After Fresh Penalties

McLaren junior Alex Dunne is on the brink of a race ban after collecting more penalty points during a chaotic Spanish Grand Prix weekend — just days after a controversial incident in Monaco.

The Rodin Motorsport driver drew criticism in Monaco when he refused to yield to Victor Martins at the first corner, sending the Williams rookie into the barriers and causing a red flag. Both drivers were forced to retire, along with several others, including Richard Verschoor and Gabriele Mini.

As a result, Dunne was handed a 10-place grid penalty for the sprint race in Spain. However, he was involved in another clash with Martins during Friday’s session in Barcelona. This time, Dunne misjudged his braking at pit entry and slammed into the back of Martins, earning an additional three-place grid penalty for the sprint race and another three-place drop for the feature race.

More concerning is Dunne’s growing tally of penalty points. He has now accumulated eight points on his FIA Super Licence. Should he reach 12 points within a 12-month period, he will receive an automatic one-race ban.

Dunne currently sits second in the F2 championship standings, just three points behind leader Luke Browning. But his hopes of taking the lead could be seriously affected by this weekend’s penalties and the looming threat of suspension.

With his aggressive driving style under scrutiny, the pressure is on for the Irish teenager to clean up his racing — or risk missing a critical round in the championship fight.