McLaren has announced that Irish driver Alex Dunne will take the place of Lando Norris for the initial practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Nineteen-year-old Dunne, who has not previously participated in a Formula 1 race weekend session, will have his chance to demonstrate his capabilities during Friday`s opening practice at the Red Bull Ring.
The young driver is currently leading the Formula 2 championship in his debut season and has been a member of McLaren`s Driver Development Programme since the previous year.
Dunne, who will be the first Irish driver to take part in an F1 weekend since Ralph Firman in 2003, commented, “It’s a fantastic opportunity to be able to participate in FP1 in Austria.”
“I am really anticipating getting some laps in with the MCL39 car and helping the team with the setup for the upcoming race weekend.”
“I have been preparing thoroughly for the sessions, including taking part in tests with previous cars like the MCL60 and spending time in the simulator, which has been an excellent learning curve.”
As per Formula 1 regulations, each team must provide a rookie driver with at least two practice sessions in their cars throughout the season. McLaren is using this mandatory requirement to give Dunne his first chance in the current-spec car.
The layout of the Red Bull Ring is relatively straightforward compared to some other circuits, meaning the regular drivers do not necessarily require all three practice sessions to become accustomed to the car before qualifying begins.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella stated, “It’s excellent to be able to offer Alex the chance to run in Free Practice 1 and for him to gain valuable experience behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car as part of his development.”
“The team is pleased to collaborate with him more closely and benefit from his support throughout the weekend, where he will provide valuable feedback to assist with the car’s setup.”
“The rookie sessions are wonderful for showcasing the talent of future drivers and providing that rare chance to get track time in a current car, so we are eager to see him out there.”
Who is Alex Dunne?
Born on November 11, 2005, in Offaly, Ireland, Dunne progressed rapidly through the karting ranks and seized the opportunity to compete in Formula 4 upon reaching 15, the minimum eligible age.
He secured pole position and a podium finish on his single-seater debut in F4 and subsequently dominated the British F4 season in 2022, attracting increased attention.
Dunne also finished as runner-up in Italian F4 in the same year, then took second place in the GB3 Championship in 2023. Despite facing challenges for consistent results in F3, McLaren signed him in May 2024, and Dunne moved up to F2 with Rodin Motorsport this year.
While not initially expected to contend for the title, he currently leads the standings ahead of the races in Austria, following impressive Feature Race victories in Bahrain and Imola, alongside two additional podiums.
However, he was deemed responsible for a first-corner incident during the Monaco Feature Race involving Victor Martins, which caused a multi-car pile-up. Dunne faced significant criticism on social media, prompting him to delete apps from his phone.
He recounted, “I received a lot of negative comments after Monaco; normally, I don’t read things and get bothered by them.”
“But about an hour after the race, I removed social media from my phone because I had never received such harsh messages in my life. Much of what I received was truly awful and, frankly, quite upsetting.”
McLaren team principal Stella had conversations with an emotional Dunne, who subsequently bounced back from a grid penalty to climb from 19th to second place in the F2 Sprint race in Spain and finished fifth in the Feature Race, maintaining his championship lead.
Stella commented, “Alex is performing very well; he is a very quick driver, very gifted, and the situation he encountered in Monaco was one from which you can learn a great deal.”
“Many world champions have experienced situations that were crucial for fine-tuning their approach to racing.”
“We had productive discussions with Alex to reaffirm our full support for his talent and the championship he is competing for. We always see a very composed individual.”
“His performance in the race was an immediate response to the situation he faced in Monaco and the pressure stemming from those social media comments. That is something that makes me very proud of him.”
“I believe we need to recognize that we live in a challenging world where people can attack others without basis, sometimes without understanding, so we are completely behind Alex, not only on track but also off-track from this perspective.”
“I felt a little for him, but I was also very proud of how he responded, being genuine and natural – but for me, it`s a call to our collective sense of responsibility.”
