By:
Conor Martin
He is already having a great 2025 so far, but F2 leader and Ireland’s Alex Dunne is about to make his F1 debut when he drives for McLaren in this Friday’s first practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix.
The Offaly man currently leads the F2 championship standings after two wins, which came in Bahrain and Imola. He is currently three points ahead of the Netherlands’ Richard Verschoor.
Dunne joined the McLaren driver development programme in May 2024 and thanks to his good, consistent form, he’s been given a chance to prove himself at motor racing’s highest level, earning a rookie free practice stint this weekend as a result. He becomes the first Irishman in 22 years to feature at a Formula 1 weekend.
Dunne steps in for Lando Norris in the driving seat for FP1. F1 teams are required to field young drivers in free practice twice during the year, increasing from one in previous seasons.
Alex Dunne ready for F1 debut
Dunne will be hoping to make an impression in Friday’s hour-long FP1 session, which will start at 12.30pm Irish time. After finding out the news, Dunne spoke of his excitement ahead of his first dabble in Formula One.
The 19-year old sees the opportunity as a chance to develop as a driver further. Which will be crucial if he wants to stay at the top of the F2 leaderboard.
“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 set-up 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, 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.”
Dunne will get ‘valuable time behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car’
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella commented on the announcement, saying the experience would be valuable for the young Irish driver:
“It’s great to be able to give Alex the opportunity to run in FP1 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.”
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