Dunne makes sensational practice debut, emerges fourth quickest
Alex Dunne stepped into the cockpit of Lando Norris' McLaren as an up-and-coming driver without Formula 1 experience. He left it with proof he can keep up with the very best in F1.
The 19-year-old driver from Ireland took over Norris' car for the first practice Friday (June 27, 2025) ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix and was soon close to matching the pace of championship leader Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren.
'I want to say a massive thank you. A little boy's dream came true,' Dunne told the McLaren team over the radio. 'This is definitely the best day of my life, so thank you everyone for letting me do this. And thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car.'
Dunne set the fourth-fastest time of anyone in the session, 0.224 of a second off George Russell's quickest lap, and was especially quick in the Austrian track's fastest corners.
Dunne was .159 off the pace of defending champion Max Verstappen, .069 off Piastri, and .333 quicker than seven-time champ Lewis Hamilton.
The 19-year-old Dunne has risen fast through the junior series and is the standings leader in Formula 2. He's also done private testing in a 2023-specification McLaren and used the team's simulator.
Dunne became the first Irish driver to take part in a Grand Prix weekend for 22 years, since Ralph Firman raced one season for Jordan in 2003. F1 teams are required to give young drivers an opportunity in four Friday (June 27, 2025) practice sessions per year, but they usually need more time to adapt than Dunne did.
Another F2 driver was behind the wheel Friday (June 27, 2025) as Ferrari handed Charles Leclerc's car to Sweden's Dino Beganovic, who placed 18th.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Pink Villa
37 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
F1 The Movie Box Office Collection: Brad Pitt starrer off to flying start in India
F1: The Movie took trade by surprise in India, speeding off the line with a strong Rs. 6.50 crore (USD 750K) opening day. These numbers include Rs. 30 lakhs from IMAX fans' first previews earlier this week. The Hollywood box office in India is very much IP-based, with records of all sorts dominated by films from a handful of franchises. There are perhaps only five original Hollywood films, original in the sense of not being a sequel, prequel, reboot, spin-off or remake, that have managed to open above Rs. 5 crore. And even to compile that list, one has to look back nearly two decades to titles like 2012, Avatar and Life of Pi. The one key reason for a strong opening is probably the sport itself. Formula 1 or F1 enjoys a niche but passionate fan base in India, which turned up for the film. The film also benefits from being a large-screen spectacle, with IMAX accounting for over one-third of its business. Adding to the appeal is the fact that this is the director's follow-up to his 2022 global blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. That, Tom Cruise fronted film opened to Rs. 3.50 crore and then went on to have a twenty-plus week run in India for Rs. 49 crore final gross. F1 is expected to show good growth over the weekend, with the first weekend projected to come in around Rs. 25 crore. That would have been a solid lifetime number for this film; now it can aim for a lot more. Although next week will see the release of the big Hollywood tentpole, Jurassic World, F1 has IMAXes to its disposal exclusively for the next two weeks, which should keep it running. A Rs. 50 crore plus final seems easy enough, which would be amongst the biggest ever for an original film in India.
The Hindu
9 hours ago
- The Hindu
Dunne makes sensational practice debut, emerges fourth quickest
Alex Dunne stepped into the cockpit of Lando Norris' McLaren as an up-and-coming driver without Formula 1 experience. He left it with proof he can keep up with the very best in F1. The 19-year-old driver from Ireland took over Norris' car for the first practice Friday (June 27, 2025) ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix and was soon close to matching the pace of championship leader Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren. 'I want to say a massive thank you. A little boy's dream came true,' Dunne told the McLaren team over the radio. 'This is definitely the best day of my life, so thank you everyone for letting me do this. And thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car.' Dunne set the fourth-fastest time of anyone in the session, 0.224 of a second off George Russell's quickest lap, and was especially quick in the Austrian track's fastest corners. Dunne was .159 off the pace of defending champion Max Verstappen, .069 off Piastri, and .333 quicker than seven-time champ Lewis Hamilton. The 19-year-old Dunne has risen fast through the junior series and is the standings leader in Formula 2. He's also done private testing in a 2023-specification McLaren and used the team's simulator. Dunne became the first Irish driver to take part in a Grand Prix weekend for 22 years, since Ralph Firman raced one season for Jordan in 2003. F1 teams are required to give young drivers an opportunity in four Friday (June 27, 2025) practice sessions per year, but they usually need more time to adapt than Dunne did. Another F2 driver was behind the wheel Friday (June 27, 2025) as Ferrari handed Charles Leclerc's car to Sweden's Dino Beganovic, who placed 18th.
The Hindu
11 hours ago
- The Hindu
F1 Austrian Grand Prix: Fine teams for ‘long shot' protests, says Wolff
Formula One teams should be fined if they fail in 'long shot' protests against rivals, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said on Friday. The Austrian told reporters at his home grand prix that the governing FIA was already looking into the possibility of such a measure. Rival Red Bull has protested twice in the space of five races, and without success, against Mercedes driver George Russell. In Canada two weeks ago, where Russell won and Verstappen finished second, the result of the race was not confirmed until more than five hours after the chequered flag due to the enquiry. READ | Max Verstappen heads into Red Bull's home race with upgrades and growing uncertainty One of the protests in Montreal, alleging a safety car infringement, was withdrawn while the other claimed Russell had been 'unsportsmanlike' in his driving. 'I think it's absolutely legitimate to protest. We are fighting for race wins and championships. And if you have the opinion that what you've seen is not right, then you should protest,' said Wolff. 'But some of these actions are just really not real. 'There are things that, from my perspective, are legit to protest and others that are just a little bit of a too long shot.' Wolff said nobody was a fan of higher fines, and Formula One needed to be mindful of the real world and not be seen as over the top. 'But in that (Canadian GP) instance, absolutely put in a fine, and I think the president of the FIA is working on that. Put in a fine that, at least if you lose it, is a little bit of an embarrassment that you lost so much money, and you're going to think twice whether you do it,' he added. 'I think this is along the lines the FIA are thinking.' Sauber team principal Jonathan Wheatley, who was previously at Red Bull, said it was important for teams to have the right to protest and making it prohibitive would likely result in more problems.
