Dunne overjoyed with ‘pretty special’ F1 debut

McLaren junior driver Alex Dunne described his official Formula 1 debut as “something pretty special” after delivering an eye-catching performance in Friday’s opening practice at the Austrian Grand Prix.

The 19-year-old Irishman, currently leading the FIA Formula 2 standings, was beaming after finishing the session in fourth position, within a tenth of his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri and just over two tenths behind pacesetter George Russell.

Still riding the high of the session as he met with the media, an exhilarated Dunne couldn’t contain his excitement.

“I don't even know where to start,” he said. “Super happy, I think it's safe to say it went pretty well.

“I think we knew going through the session that the goal wasn't necessarily for performance – it was more to help out with the car, help Lando [Norris] and just help the team improve as much as they can for FP2, FP3 and then onwards into the weekend.

“So to have the pace that I had and show what I'm capable of on the F1 stage is something pretty special, so massive thank you to McLaren and everyone for the opportunity. I'm extremely grateful.”

While Dunne had prior simulator experience and had tested McLaren’s 2023 car privately, Friday’s outing marked his first time competing in a live Formula 1 session under the watchful eyes of the paddock and fans.

The young Irishman, already a standout talent in the junior ranks with two F2 feature race victories this season, took full advantage of the opportunity – not only showing competitive pace but contributing meaningful data to McLaren’s weekend setup process.

Stella: “Diligent and Impressive”

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella was quick to praised Dunne’s poise and technical input during the 60-minute workout, noting the significant workload the rookie handled in a session that featured experimental components and data-gathering tasks – including a new suspension configuration.

“I think we have to acknowledge that he [Dunne] has gone through quite an extensive plan of testing with some new parts, with some rake work, some adjustments on the steering wheel that we don't see on TV but definitely keeps the drivers very busy,” Stella told Sky Sports F1.

• Read also: Norris hails ‘good step forward’ by McLaren’s updated MCL39

“Alex has been quite diligent and impressive. Then he also had the chance to show some speed and no surprise, he's a fast driver.

“I think we need to be a bit careful looking at the lap times because his time came later on in the stint when the fuel was down but I think encouraging and impressive in terms of Alex himself and also I think a good session for McLaren.”

Dunne’s feedback and work on the car setup directly contributed to teammate Lando Norris's performance later in the day, with Norris topping the timesheets in FP2.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via X and Facebook