Irish racing driver Alex Dunne will participate in Free Practice One at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix for McLaren, the team confirmed on Monday.
Dunne has been extremely impressive in Formula 2 as he leads the championship.
The Offaly native will drive in place of Lando Norris on Friday and will be the first Irish driver since 2003 to take part in a Formula One practice session.
Dunne was at the Circuit of the Americas last week testing a previous car to prepare for the outing.
Alex Dunne to take part in FP1 in Austria! 🇦🇹
We can’t wait to see you get behind the wheel of the MCL39 🤩🙌
Alex Dunne, McLaren Driver Development Programme, said:
“It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to drive during FP1 in Austria. 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, 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.”
Andrea Stella, Team Principal, McLaren F1, said:
“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 setup. 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.”