Dunne third in Miami Formula 2 sprint race

Alex Dunne is in his second season in Formula 2 [Getty Images] Ireland's Alex Dunne has finished in third place in the Formula 2 sprint race in Miami after a thrilling final lap. Dunne had joined the battle for the lead in the closing stages as Nikola Tsolov and Lauren van Hoepen duelled at the front. Bulgaria's Tsolov drafted past van Hoepen heading into the final corner of the race but both drivers ran wide, which allowed Dunne right on the back of the leading pair.

However the Apline junior driver had to settle for third place on the run to the line as championship leader Tsolov held on in a thrilling finale. Dunne started the race in seventh place but made two places off the line with a strong start. The Rodin Motorsport driver made a move on Nicolas Varrone into fourth place on the 15th lap and he set his sights on Joshua Durksen in third.

Dunne, who joined Alpine F1's junior programme ahead of the new season, battled past the Paraguayan driver with four laps to go. The 20-year-old set after the leading duo of Tsolov and van Hoepen but ran out of time to properly challenge for the lead but still picked up his second podium of the season. The feature race on the circuit, which winds its way around the Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the Miami Dolphins, takes place on Sunday at 17:30 BST.

Miami was a late addition to the Formula 2 calendar after the rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were called off due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The next round takes place at Montreal in Canada from 22-24 May - another late addition to the schedule - before the European leg of the season begins on the historic streets of Monaco from 4-7 June.