McLaren have handed F2 championship leader, Alex Dunne a maiden F1 FP1 session at 2025 Austrian Grand Prix.
Dunne will take over Lando Norris’ seat for the opening F1 practice session in-between F2 Practice and Qualifying sessions on Friday 27 June, which will mark his first taste of F1 FP1 running after having conducted various test work in the past year with recent McLaren F1 cars.
The 19-year-old Irish driver described his latest opportunity as “an amazing opportunity” after he was previously announced for McLaren’s Formula E rookie test in mid-July in Berlin, Germany.
“I’m really looking forward to getting laps in behind the wheel of the MCL39 and supporting the team with the setup for the race weekend ahead.
“I’ve been preparing well for the sessions, taking part in Testing of Previous Cars tests in the MCL60 and spending time on the simulator, which has been a fantastic learning experience.”
Dunne also acknowledged the trust of McLaren’s CEO – Zak Brown, Team Principal – Andrea Stella and Chief of Business Affairs – Alessandro Alunni Bravi in giving him a F1 outing.
“Thank you to Zak, Andrea and Alessandro for their faith in me. It’s a great step within my development with the McLaren Driver Development Programme, and I’m really excited to join the team trackside.”
Stella added that McLaren are happy to be working closer with Dunne in Austria alongside his F2 duties for Rodin.
“It’s great to be able to give Alex the opportunity to run in Free Practice 1, and for him to get valuable time behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car as part of his development.
“The team are pleased to be working with him more closely, and for his support across the weekend, where he will be providing useful feedback to help with the car’s set-up.
“The rookie sessions are fantastic for seeing the talent of tomorrow and enabling that rare chance to get time in a current car, so we look forward to seeing him on track.”
Ferrari meanwhile have announced that Dunne’s F2 rival, Dino Beganovic will drive in place of Charles Leclerc in FP1, meaning that at least two rookies will be participating in FP1 at the Red Bull Ring.
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