Lando Norris will miss the first free training on the upcoming Formula 1 weekend in Spielberg. The World Cup rune-up releases its cockpit on Formula 2 leader Alex Dunne, who will do one of the four mandatory rookie training this year.
Dunne has been part of McLaren’s young talent since 2024 and has its Formula 1 debut in Austria on a Grand Prix weekend. “It is a great way to drive at the FT1 in Austria. I am really looking forward to doing rounds in the MCL39 and supporting the team in the voting work for the upcoming race weekend,” says Irish.
“I prepared myself well for the session, drove in tests with older cars in the MCL60 and spent a lot of time in the simulator – that was a very educational experience,” said the 19 -year -old. “This is a big step in my development within the McLaren program, and I can’t wait to work with the team on the track.”
“It is great that we can give Alex the opportunity to take part in the FT1 and thus gain valuable experience at the wheel of a Formula 1 car,” says team boss Andrea Stella. “The team is looking forward to working closer with him and we will also benefit from his feedback to coordinate the car for the weekend.”
“The rookie sessions are excellent to promote the talents of the future and give them the rare opportunity to drive current cars. We look forward to seeing it on the track,” emphasizes the team manager.
Since the Formula 1 season 2022, every regular driver has had to leave a Friday training in favor of a rookies in the course of the year that has not completed more than two Grand Prix starts-unless he fulfills this condition himself. This season, the number of mandatory rookiet training was even doubled to two.
Formula 2 leader with high spirits
McLaren has already announced that Indycar pilot Patricio O’Ward can sit in the car again in his home game in Mexico. The other two missions are to be announced in due course.
It is now Dunne in Austria. The 19-year-old IRE is a former master of British Formula 4 and drove his debut season in Formula 2 for Rodin in 2025. After six weekends, he leads the overall ranking with victories in Bahrain and Imola, but has recently been criticized because of his impetuously.
At the main race in Monaco, he had triggered a mass accident in an over -motivated maneuver against Victor Martins in the first curve of the race and received a grid penalty of ten places.
A driver change is already certain at Ferrari: the Schwede Dino Beganovic will sit in the car for Charles Leclerc. Leclerc has already paid his fault afterwards, because he also had to pause for the Formula 2 pilot in Bahrain. Team colleague Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, will have to stop twice.