In the week leading up to the Austrian Grand Prix, McLaren announced the promotion of a driver from its Driver Development Programme to an official Formula 1 session. The 19-year-old Irishman Alex Dunne, promoted to Woking last year and currently leading the Formula 2 championship standings, will take part in FP1 this weekend, reserved exclusively for young drivers fielded by the teams, replacing Lando Norris.
After debuting in single-seaters in 2021, Alex Dunne won the British Formula 4 championship the following season before moving up to Formula 3 in 2024, having been runner-up in GB3 and Italian Formula 4 between 2022 and 2023. During his time in F3, the Irishman earned promotion to the McLaren Driver Development Programme, where he now serves as a test and reserve driver for the team competing in Formula E. Besides Alex Dunne, McLaren had previously announced Pato O’Ward’s participation in FP1 at this year’s Mexican GP, with the Constructors’ Championship leaders set to announce the names of the other two drivers who will complete the four FP1 sessions reserved for those not competing in the championship.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to drive in FP1 in Austria,” Alex Dunne said. “I can’t wait to do some laps in the MCL39 and help the team with setup for the upcoming race weekend. I’ve prepared well for the sessions, participating in tests with previous cars like the MCL60 and spending time in the simulator, which has been a fantastic learning experience. I thank Zak, Andrea, and Alessandro for their trust in me. This is a big step forward in my development with the McLaren Driver Development Programme, and I’m really excited to join the team on track.”
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