Irish Formula Two driver Alex Dunne will take part in the opening free practice session at next weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix when he will get behind the wheel of the MCL39 as he continues his rapid rise in international motorsport.
The 19-year-old leads the Formula Two driver standings in his debut season and McLaren announced on Monday that Dunne will drive their Formula One car on Friday at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg as part of the team’s driver development programme.
Dunne will take the place of Lando Norris in the session, which gets under way at 12.30pm Irish time.
“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 set-up for the race weekend ahead,” said Dunne.
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“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.”
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McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said: “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 One 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.”
