Alex Dunne to make FP1 debut for McLaren as Lando Norris steps aside

Alex Dunne will take part in the Austrian Grand Prix weekend, with the McLaren junior driving in the first practice session.

The Formula 2 championship leader will dovetail his duties this weekend, getting the chance to drive the McLaren MCL39 alongside his F2 campaign.

Alex Dunne to drive in FP1 in Austria

McLaren has confirmed Alex Dunne will drive the MCL39 during Friday’s first practice session in Austria, marking their junior driver’s first foray in the contemporary machine.

The 19-year-old, who hails from Offaly in the Republic of Ireland, will take over Lando Norris’ car and will be the first driver from the Republic to drive in an F1 Grand Prix weekend since Derek Daly and Tommy Byrne participated in the 1982 Caesar’s Palace Grand Prix in Las Vegas.

Dunne took part in a Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) outing last week at the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, driving a 2023 MCL60.

The Irish driver had also driven the MCL60 during a TPC at Zandvoort last month, his first time behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.

Signed to McLaren’s Driver Development programme last year, Dunne’s arrival in Formula 2 this season has seen the rookie driver take two feature race victories en route to an impressive lead as the season reaches its halfway point.

McLaren’s programme helps drivers reach their potential and lines them up for potential opportunities across the British marque’s slew of racing programmes across F1, IndyCar, Formula E, and the World Endurance Championship.

With all the F1 teams required to field a junior driver (defined as a driver with two or fewer Grands Prix experience) across four FP1 outings this season, a tweak of the rule which mandated two such appearances up until this season, Dunne’s appearance this weekend will mark the first of McLaren’s required outings.

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“It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to drive during FP1 in Austria,” Dunne said.

“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.

“Thank you to Zak [Brown], Andrea [Stella], and Alessandro [Alunni Bravi] 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.”

IndyCar star Pato O’Ward has already been confirmed as taking part in FP1 at the Mexico City Grand Prix later this year, meaning McLaren has two further outings left to confirm; both Dunne and O’Ward are leading contenders for both.

Several teams have already ticked off at least one appearance, with Dino Beganovic, Frederik Vesti, Ayumu Iwasa, Felipe Drugovich, Ryo Hirakawa, and Luke Browning driving in Bahrain FP1 for Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, Aston Martin, Haas, and Williams, respectively.

Hirakawa also drove for Alpine in FP1 in Japan, while Victor Martins drove for Williams in FP1 in Spain.

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