In an exclusive interview with Pit Debrief, Irish driver Alex Dunne opened up about a landmark weekend at the 2025 Austrian GP, where he made his Formula 1 FP1 debut with McLaren. Filling in for Lando Norris as part of the FIA’s rookie driver mandate, Dunne drove the MCL39 and impressed from the moment he hit the track.
An eye-catching debut
This was Dunne’s first-ever FP1 session, and crucially, his first time competing directly against the full Formula 1 grid. Despite the pressure of a live Grand Prix weekend, he kept his composure and delivered a measured, confident performance. By the end of the session, Dunne had placed fourth fastest, just 0.224 seconds off the session leader—a remarkable feat for any young driver making their official debut in current machinery.
“It’s pretty cool,” Dunne told Pit Debrief. “I think I’ve developed a pretty good relationship with them all [at McLaren] in my short amount of time of working with the F1 team.”
From private testing to a public benchmark
While Austria was Dunne’s first official FP1 session, it was not his first time in McLaren equipment. Earlier in the season, he completed private test outings in the MCL60, running at Circuit Zandvoort in May and later at Circuit of the Americas. These tests provided valuable mileage and operational understanding, but could not fully replicate the stakes of a live Formula 1 weekend.
Austria presented a completely different challenge: full grid, full attention, and full performance scrutiny. Dunne responded with precision and maturity, rising to the moment. This earned him praise from the likes of McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella and CEO Zak Brown.
“As soon as I jumped out of the car, after FP1, Andrea [Stella] came over to me and I had a message from Zak [Brown] as well to say, you know, ‘well done, you did a good job.’”
Prepared by McLaren’s race drivers
Behind the scenes, Dunne had already begun integrating into the McLaren environment. He credited race drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri for offering guidance that helped him feel prepared before his FP1 debut.
“I spent quite a bit of time with Lando and Oscar, just talking with them and learning what I can,” Dunne said. “They were both really open and helpful. That kind of insight is gold for a young driver like me.”
Words that mean more
For Dunne, the most meaningful part of the weekend may not have been the lap time, but the validation he received from Andrea Stella and Zak Brown. Their recognition gave him a deep sense of belonging within the team.
“As a young driver, having that—you can call it reassurance, let’s say—from two very, very important people within McLaren is something that’s really, really nice and something that I appreciate a lot,” he said. “So it’s a cool feeling.”
A strong foundation in F2
Dunne’s strong showing in Austria built on the momentum of an already impressive F2 campaign. He has emerged as a title contender with a string of standout results, including Feature Race wins in Bahrain and Imola, and Sprint podiums in Jeddah (P3), Spain (P2), Silverstone (P2), and Hungary (P2).
Throughout the season, Dunne has combined pace with composure and intelligence—qualities that translated seamlessly into his first F1 outing.
Proving ground passed
Austria was more than just an obligation under the FIA’s rookie rule—it was a proving ground, and Alex Dunne passed the test with distinction. With growing support from McLaren’s leadership, encouragement from Norris and Piastri, and a consistent track record in Formula 2, Dunne has now taken a major step toward the Formula 1 grid. He did not just participate in FP1—he made a statement.
