Irish racing star and F2 leader to drive for McLaren at Austrian Grand Prix

Alex Dunne currently leads the F2 standings and has been rewarded for his impressive form

Alex Dunne will drive for McLaren in practice at the Austrian GP (Getty Images)

Alex Dunne will drive for McLaren in the first practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix on Friday.

The 19-year-old, from Offaly in Ireland, currently leads the F2 championship standings after two victories.

Dunne joined the McLaren driver development programme last May and has been rewarded for his consistent form with a rookie free practice stint this weekend.

Dunne will replace Lando Norris in the car for FP1. Teams have to run a rookie at least twice in each of their cars throughout the 2025 season.

“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, 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.”

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella added: “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.”

Ferrari have also announced that their junior driver Dino Beganovic will replace Charles Leclerc for FP1 at the Red Bull Ring on Friday.