New Alpine driver sparks controversy in dramatic team-mate collision

Alex Dunne's Formula 2 weekend in Melbourne ended in disaster after a collision with Rodin Motorsport team-mate Martinius Stenshorne on lap three of the feature race.

The incident occurred at Turn 1 as the pair battled for the lead. 

Stenshorne had taken first place early in the race from pole-sitter Dino Beganovic, with Dunne quickly pressuring his Norwegian team-mate. 

On lap two, Dunne attempted a bold move down the inside at Turn 11, but Stenshorne defended firmly and the pair remained wheel-to-wheel through Turn 13.

The following lap proved decisive. Dunne gained a tow down the straights and appeared to have completed his overtake into Turn 1. 

However, he cut across Stenshorne just before the braking zone, triggering contact that sent both Rodin cars into retirement and brought out the safety car.

The stewards deemed Dunne predominantly responsible for the collision, issuing a 10-second time penalty that was converted into a five-place grid drop for the next feature race.

The crash proved particularly costly for Dunne, the newly signed Alpine junior, who lost a golden opportunity to score points on his feature race debut. 

With both Rodin drivers eliminated, Nikola Tsolov inherited the lead and went on to claim victory, becoming the first Bulgarian driver to win a Formula 2 race.