McLaren has announced that Irish driver Alex Dunne will substitute for Lando Norris during the first free practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old Dunne has no previous experience in an F1 race weekend session, but he is scheduled to get his chance to impress during Friday`s initial session at the Red Bull Ring.
Currently, in his rookie season, the teenager is leading the Formula 2 championship. He became part of McLaren`s Driver Development Programme last year.
“It`s an amazing opportunity to be able to drive during FP1 in Austria,” commented Dunne, who will be the first Irish driver to take part in an F1 weekend session since Ralph Firman in 2003.
“I`m really looking forward to completing laps behind the wheel of the MCL39 and supporting the team with the setup for the race weekend ahead.”
“I`ve been preparing thoroughly for these sessions by participating in Testing of Previous Cars tests in the MCL60 and spending significant time on the simulator, which has been an incredibly valuable learning experience.”
Alex Dunne leads the F2 Championship
Formula 1 regulations mandate that all teams must provide a rookie driver with at least two practice session outings in each of their cars over the course of the season. McLaren is fulfilling this requirement by giving Dunne his first opportunity in their current car.
The Red Bull Ring`s less complex layout compared to other tracks means that the regular drivers typically don`t require all three practice sessions to familiarize themselves with the car before qualifying.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella stated, “It`s excellent to be able to offer Alex the chance to participate in Free Practice 1 and for him to gain crucial time driving a Formula 1 car as part of his ongoing development.”
“The team is pleased to be collaborating more closely with him and appreciates his support throughout the weekend, as he will provide valuable feedback to aid in the car`s setup.”
“These rookie sessions are fantastic opportunities to assess future talent and provide that rare chance to get behind the wheel of a current car. We are eager to see him out on track.”
About Alex Dunne
Born on November 11, 2005, in Offaly, Ireland, Dunne quickly progressed through the karting ranks before moving into Formula 4 as soon as he turned 15, the minimum age for that level.
He achieved pole position and a podium in his debut single-seater race in F4 and went on to dominate the British F4 season in 2022, attracting increasing attention.
In the same year, Dunne finished as runner-up in Italian F4, followed by a second-place finish in the GB3 Championship in 2023. Although he faced some consistency challenges in F3, McLaren signed him in May 2024, and he stepped up to Formula 2 with Rodin Motorsport this season.
Despite not being initially considered a title favorite, he currently tops the F2 standings heading into the Austrian round, thanks to impressive Feature Race victories in Bahrain and Imola, along with two other podiums.
However, he was deemed responsible for a multi-car incident at Turn 1 during the Monaco Feature Race involving Victor Martins, which caused a pile-up. Dunne received significant criticism on social media afterward, prompting him to remove the apps from his phone.
“I got a lot of messages after Monaco. Normally, I`m not someone who reads things and gets bothered by them,” he said.
“But I think about an hour after the race, I deleted social media off my phone because I`ve never received such negative messages in my life. A lot of what I got was truly harsh and, frankly, quite upsetting.”
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella spoke with Dunne, who was understandably emotional. Dunne demonstrated resilience by recovering from a grid penalty to finish second in the Spanish F2 Sprint race and fifth in the Feature Race, preserving his championship lead.
Andrea Stella spoke with Dunne after the Monaco incident
“Alex is performing very well; he is a very quick and talented driver. The situation he encountered in Monaco was one of those instances from which a lot can be learned,” Stella commented.
“Many world champions have gone through situations that were critically important for refining their approach to racing.”
“We had constructive conversations with Alex to reaffirm our complete support for his talent and the championship battle he`s engaged in. We consistently see him as a very mature person.”
“The way he raced subsequently was a direct response to the situation 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 understand that we live in a challenging world where people can attack others without real justification, sometimes lacking any competence. Therefore, we stand completely behind Alex, both on and off the track, in this regard.”
“I felt for him somewhat, but I was also extremely proud of how he reacted, being genuine and natural – and for me, it serves as a reminder of our overall sense of responsibility.”
Wesley Dunham 
Gilbert Pendleton