Latest news with #Lando
The Journal
21 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Journal
'The best day of my life' - Irish teenager Alex Dunne makes superb F1 debut for McLaren
The 42 IRELAND'S ALEX DUNNE was the story of the first free practice (FP1) at the Austrian Grand Prix, turning heads on his Formula 1 debut. Offaly teenager Dunne, a McLaren junior and the current Formula 2 Championship leader, finished fourth in his first ever F1 session as he temporarily deputised for Lando Norris. Racing for the first time in the latest McLaren car, the MCL39, Dunne finished within a tenth of team-mate and F1 championship leader Oscar Piastri, with George Russell setting the FP1 pace just two tenths up the track. Russell saw off second-placed Max Verstappen by 0.065 seconds. Dunne's joy was immediately apparent upon his finish, with the 19-year-old telling his McLaren team over the radio: 'I want to say a massive thank you. A little boy's dream came true and it's 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 added. 'It means a lot.' Sky Sports F1 / X (Formerly Twitter) McLaren / X (Formerly Twitter) Speaking post-race, Dunne said he was 'super, super happy'. Advertisement 'I think it's fair to say it went pretty well,' he added. '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, and kind of just help the team to improve as much as they can through 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. A massive thank you to McLaren for the opportunity. I'm extremely grateful.' Alex Dunne exits the pit lane during the first free practice at the Austrian Grand Prix. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo McLaren team boss Andrea Stella was impressed by Dunne's performance, but particularly with how he achieved his team's objectives on his first run-out. 'Before we look at the time, we have to acknowledge that he has gone through quite an extensive plan of testing with some new parts,' Stella said. 'There was some work that won't be seen on TV but keeps the drivers very busy and you have to be very precise, very much on time. 'In all of this, Alex has been quite diligent and impressive. 'He had also a chance to show us his pace. It's no surprise he is a fast driver. 'We have to be careful looking at the lap times because his lap time came later in the stint when the fuel was down. But I think it's encouraging and impressive for Alex himself, and a good session for McLaren.' Written by The 42 and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here .
The 42
a day ago
- Automotive
- The 42
'The best day of my life' - Irish teenager Alex Dunne makes superb F1 debut for McLaren
IRELAND'S ALEX DUNNE was the story of the first free practice (FP1) at the Austrian Grand Prix, turning heads on his Formula 1 debut. Offaly teenager Dunne, a McLaren junior and the current Formula 2 Championship leader, finished fourth in his first ever F1 session as he temporarily deputised for Lando Norris. Racing for the first time in the McLaren MCL39, Dunne finished within a tenth of team-mate and F1 championship leader Oscar Piastri, with George Russell setting the FP1 pace just two tenths up the track. Russell saw off second-placed Max Verstappen by 0.065 seconds. Dunne's joy was immediately apparent upon his finish, with the 19-year-old telling his McLaren team over the radio: 'I want to say a massive thank you. A little boy's dream came true and it's 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 added. Advertisement 'It means a lot.' Speaking post-race, Dunne said he was 'super, super happy'. 'I think it's fair to say it went pretty well,' he added. '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, and kind of just help the team to improve as much as they can through 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. A massive thank you to McLaren for the opportunity. I'm extremely grateful.' McLaren team boss Andrea Stella was impressed by Dunne's performance, but particularly with how he achieved his team's objectives on his first run-out. 'Before we look at the time, we have to acknowledge that he has gone through quite an extensive plan of testing with some new parts,' Stella said. 'There was some work that won't be seen on TV but keeps the drivers very busy and you have to be very precise, very much on time. 'In all of this, Alex has been quite diligent and impressive. 'He had also a chance to show us his pace. It's no surprise he is a fast driver. 'We have to be careful looking at the lap times because his lap time came later in the stint when the fuel was down. But I think it's encouraging and impressive for Alex himself, and a good session for McLaren.'
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Watch emotional moment Alex Dunne reunites with family after living ‘little boy's dream' on Formula 1 debut in Austria
ALEX DUNNE shared a tender moment with his family after living "a little boy's dream" on his Formula 1 debut with McLaren. The GP . 1 Alex Dunne made his F1 debut with McLaren at the Austrian GP Credit: Alamy Live News He more than lived up to the billing, driving fourth fastest in the session. Dunne's finished less than a tenth of a second behind teammate and Championship leader Oscar Piastri. After crossing the finish line at the Red Bull Ring, he sent an emotional message of thanks to the He said: "'A little boy's dream came true, and this is definitely the best day of my life. Read More on Alex Dunne 'Thank you everyone for letting me do this, and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car.' When he got back to the garage, the Irishman was greeted by his family , with hugs aplenty, while he was congratulated by his brother who was wearing an Offaly jersey . By driving in English-born Firman raced under an Irish licence for Most read in Football Dunne is also the first driver born on the island of And he is the first born in the Republic since Tommy Byrne, who took part in two grands prix with backmarker Theodore in 1982. Lando Norris punished by F1 bosses with five-second penalty after being snitched on by rival Max Verstappen Lando Norris retook the seat from Dunne for FP2 and FP3. Commenting after the session, Dunne said: "I don't even know where to start. "Super, super happy. i think it is safe to say it went pretty well. "We knew going through the session that the goal wasn't necessarily performance, it was more to help out with the car, help Lando, and just help the team improve as much as they can for FP2, FP3 and then onwards into the weekend. "To have the pace and show what I am capable of on the F1 stage is something pretty special." Dunne's star has been rising since making his F2 debut under the McLaren banner in March. He made a dream start to the 2025 season by becoming the first Irish driver to win an F2 race with victory at Bahrain in April. And after being involved in a dramatic 11-car crash in Monaco last month, he bounced back by climbing 17 places in Barcelona's sprint race to finish second. That podium finish alongside winner Richard Verschoor and third-placed Rafael Villagomez saw Dunne take the outright lead in the F2 standings, further growing his reputation within McLaren. He will also take part in F2 in Austria, with qualifying starting just over two hours after stepping out of Lando's car. Dunne then has the F2 sprint race on Saturday and Sunday's feature race.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
These 23 Behind-The-Scenes Facts From The Star Wars TV Shows Will Make You Look At A Galaxy Far, Far Away In A New Light
Star Wars has always been a master on the big screen, and it has found its place in TV series, too. Smaller screen, but equally big behind-the-scenes fun facts that prove movie magic is still alive and well. Here are 26 behind-the-scenes facts from the Star Wars TV shows that are incredibly interesting: Andor, the entire town of Ferrix feels very tangible and real. Well, compared to other sets in the Star Wars universe, the whole city of Ferrix was built from scratch. Andor, the showrunners displayed an array of Easter eggs in Luthen's shop, including the Sankara Stones from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. droid character Huyang, who appears in both Ahsoka and The Clone Wars, is voiced by actor and the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, David Tennant. Disney+, Eamonn M. McCormack / Getty Images the Book of Boba Fett, actor Temuera Morrison brought his Maori heritage to the role in an interesting way. He drew inspiration from the traditional Maori dance, the Haka, for his training and fighting style with his Gaffi Stick. Rodriguez plays the Trandoshan that delivers the wookie pelt in the first episode of The Book of Boba Fett. He is also the show's executive producer and director. about Darth Plagueis became uncanonized with Disney's purchase of Star Wars, but The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland used the Legends (now non-canonical) novel "Darth Plagueis" as a reference. So, the Sith Lord is still an alien Muun like the original. Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen filmed flashback scenes while wearing dots on their faces for the "de-aging" special effects. Kenobi series is a rare example of Director Deborah Chow serving as the sole director for the project. It was only six episodes, but it's still uncommon in most Star Wars TV projects — and honestly, TV in general. aka "Baby Yoda", required up to four people to make him work. That's a lot of hands to bring all that cuteness to life. animation was used for a shot of the Blurrg in Season 1 of The Mandalorian. Other scenes used a blend of practical effects and CG. the beautifully crafted BTS special, Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, it was revealed that The Mandalorian was meticulously planned with pre-visualization before ENTIRE show. It's almost like taking time and love to prep a story pays off. Ludwig Göransson can thank Director Ryan Coogler and Lando actor Donald Glover (Solo) for the recommendation. After working with Glover closely in shows like Atlanta, Mando showrunner Jon Faveru was suggested to hire Göransson. What followed was the most iconic Star Wars score made by someone not named John Williams. to ScreenRant, five different stuntmen stepped in for Mando stunts throughout the show's first season. This really made the hero of the story appear to be a natural in all the different phases of his skills. dark saber was a practical effect. Actor Giancarlo Esposito was so intense with the legendary blade that it required multiple props after he kept breaking them. Try a stress ball, Moff Gideon! the show Ahsoka, we got to see one of the coolest ship designs in the Disney+ era. Ahsoka's T-6 shuttle was a model brought to life by ILM and frequently used in filming. Star Wars Rebels, the name of the "Bendu" character was pulled from George Lucas' original work, where he refers to Jedi Knights as "Jedi Bendu". Star Wars Rebels "skinny lightsaber" design was an attempt to emulate the skinniness of the lightsabers in the original trilogy and the artwork done by the G.O.A.T. conceptual designer, Ralph McQuarrie. Grand Inquisitor, played by Rupert Friend in the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, required a four-hour makeup process. I'd turn to the dark side, too, if I had to wake up before dawn to sit in a chair for hours while someone covers my entire face with makeup and prosthetics. makeup effects used for Cad Bane in The Book of Boba Fett actually allow for lip movement from the actor, which is pretty wild and looks outstanding in the final product. But I'm sure some fans were too hyper-focused on the skin coloring to care. Shocker. Child was simply called 'Baby' on set for the first season of The Mandalorian. the French influence on the Ghor language in season 2 of Andor, dialect coach Marina Tyndall created the language from scratch. That's dedication to the cause! second season of Andor entailed the build of 140 sets, 24 filming locations, more than 700 costumes, the creation of 152 creatures and 30 droids, and well over 4,100 VFX shots supervised by ILM. finally, the martial arts in The Acolyte were some of the best fighting we have seen in the Disney-era Star Wars, and it checks out. They brought several martial arts styles to bring the fight scenes to a whole new level while blending them with light saber duels. What is your favorite Star Wars TV show? Comment below and why! Check out all the Star Wars shows here on Disney+.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
These 23 Behind-The-Scenes Facts From The Star Wars TV Shows Will Make You Look At A Galaxy Far, Far Away In A New Light
Star Wars has always been a master on the big screen, and it has found its place in TV series, too. Smaller screen, but equally big behind-the-scenes fun facts that prove movie magic is still alive and well. Here are 26 behind-the-scenes facts from the Star Wars TV shows that are incredibly interesting: Andor, the entire town of Ferrix feels very tangible and real. Well, compared to other sets in the Star Wars universe, the whole city of Ferrix was built from scratch. Andor, the showrunners displayed an array of Easter eggs in Luthen's shop, including the Sankara Stones from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. droid character Huyang, who appears in both Ahsoka and The Clone Wars, is voiced by actor and the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, David Tennant. Disney+, Eamonn M. McCormack / Getty Images the Book of Boba Fett, actor Temuera Morrison brought his Maori heritage to the role in an interesting way. He drew inspiration from the traditional Maori dance, the Haka, for his training and fighting style with his Gaffi Stick. Rodriguez plays the Trandoshan that delivers the wookie pelt in the first episode of The Book of Boba Fett. He is also the show's executive producer and director. about Darth Plagueis became uncanonized with Disney's purchase of Star Wars, but The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland used the Legends (now non-canonical) novel "Darth Plagueis" as a reference. So, the Sith Lord is still an alien Muun like the original. Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen filmed flashback scenes while wearing dots on their faces for the "de-aging" special effects. Kenobi series is a rare example of Director Deborah Chow serving as the sole director for the project. It was only six episodes, but it's still uncommon in most Star Wars TV projects — and honestly, TV in general. aka "Baby Yoda", required up to four people to make him work. That's a lot of hands to bring all that cuteness to life. animation was used for a shot of the Blurrg in Season 1 of The Mandalorian. Other scenes used a blend of practical effects and CG. the beautifully crafted BTS special, Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, it was revealed that The Mandalorian was meticulously planned with pre-visualization before ENTIRE show. It's almost like taking time and love to prep a story pays off. Ludwig Göransson can thank Director Ryan Coogler and Lando actor Donald Glover (Solo) for the recommendation. After working with Glover closely in shows like Atlanta, Mando showrunner Jon Faveru was suggested to hire Göransson. What followed was the most iconic Star Wars score made by someone not named John Williams. to ScreenRant, five different stuntmen stepped in for Mando stunts throughout the show's first season. This really made the hero of the story appear to be a natural in all the different phases of his skills. dark saber was a practical effect. Actor Giancarlo Esposito was so intense with the legendary blade that it required multiple props after he kept breaking them. Try a stress ball, Moff Gideon! the show Ahsoka, we got to see one of the coolest ship designs in the Disney+ era. Ahsoka's T-6 shuttle was a model brought to life by ILM and frequently used in filming. Star Wars Rebels, the name of the "Bendu" character was pulled from George Lucas' original work, where he refers to Jedi Knights as "Jedi Bendu". Star Wars Rebels "skinny lightsaber" design was an attempt to emulate the skinniness of the lightsabers in the original trilogy and the artwork done by the G.O.A.T. conceptual designer, Ralph McQuarrie. Grand Inquisitor, played by Rupert Friend in the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, required a four-hour makeup process. I'd turn to the dark side, too, if I had to wake up before dawn to sit in a chair for hours while someone covers my entire face with makeup and prosthetics. makeup effects used for Cad Bane in The Book of Boba Fett actually allow for lip movement from the actor, which is pretty wild and looks outstanding in the final product. But I'm sure some fans were too hyper-focused on the skin coloring to care. Shocker. Child was simply called 'Baby' on set for the first season of The Mandalorian. the French influence on the Ghor language in season 2 of Andor, dialect coach Marina Tyndall created the language from scratch. That's dedication to the cause! second season of Andor entailed the build of 140 sets, 24 filming locations, more than 700 costumes, the creation of 152 creatures and 30 droids, and well over 4,100 VFX shots supervised by ILM. finally, the martial arts in The Acolyte were some of the best fighting we have seen in the Disney-era Star Wars, and it checks out. They brought several martial arts styles to bring the fight scenes to a whole new level while blending them with light saber duels. What is your favorite Star Wars TV show? Comment below and why! Check out all the Star Wars shows here on Disney+.
