Latest news with #MCL39
The Journal
a day 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 .
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'Best day of my life' - Dunne delivers on F1 debut
Alex Dunne was fourth for McLaren in his first practice session in Formula 1 [Getty Images] Teenager Alex Dunne says making his Formula 1 debut at the Austrian Grand Prix is "definitely the best day of my life". The 19-year-old impressed as he posted the fourth-fastest time in opening practice for the Austrian Grand Prix as he stood in for McLaren's Lando Norris. Advertisement The Irish driver was handed the opportunity in one of McLaren's four mandatory sessions across the season where a rookie driver will take part in first practice. Dunne is a McLaren development driver and leads the Formula 2 standings after six rounds with two victories in Bahrain and Imola. "I want to say a massive thank you, you made a little boy's dream come true," Dunne said on his team radio after the session. "This is definitely the best day of my life. "Thank you everyone for letting me do this and thanks to Lando as well for trusting me with his car. It means a lot." Advertisement In taking part in first practice, Dunne became the first Irish driver to participate in a Formula 1 weekend in 22 years. He started the session off slowly, carrying an aero rake on his car as championship leaders McLaren tested updates on the MCL39. After a stint on hard tyres, the former British F4 champion posted the fourth-fastest time after switching to the soft tyres late in the hour-long session. His quickest time was just 0.069 seconds shy of championship leader Oscar Piastri, who was third behind George Russell and Max Verstappen. "I'm super, super happy. It's safe to say it went pretty well," Dunne told McLaren's social media. Advertisement "We knew going into 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 improve as much as they can for FP2 and FP3, and onwards into the weekend. "So to have the pace that I had and show what I am capable of on the F1 stage is something pretty special." Analysis - 'He might give McLaren a few headaches' Dunne leads the Formula 2 standings by three points after six rounds of the championship [Getty Images] Andrew Benson, BBC Sport's Formula 1 correspondent: "There was a point where McLaren were thinking of dropping Alex Dunne but [former racing driver] Warren Hughes said to them if you look into the data, you can see that he is really talented and that's really coming out this year. Advertisement "He's been super impressive in F2 and that lap time. It is only first practice but it's a very rare a driver gets into a grand prix practice session and laps that close to the regular race driver. "Alex Dunne might be giving McLaren a few headaches because they already have Piastri and Norris under contract in F1 for at least a couple of years. "I'm not saying Dunne is going to get a McLaren seat but if he wins F2 this year, what are they going to do with him? There aren't that many F1 seats, with this sort of potential you want to get him into F1 as soon as possible." 'Diligent and impressive' Speaking on Sky Sports, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said Dunne was "diligent and impressive" in his approach to the session, which included testing the new upgrades on the McLaren. Advertisement "He also had the chance to show some speed, and it's no surprise as he's a fast driver," Stella added. "I think we need to be a bit careful looking at the lap times because his lap time came later on in the stint when the fuel was down. "But it was encouraging and impressive, in terms of Alex himself and it was a good session for McLaren." Ex-Formula 1 driver Karun Chandock says Dunne's performance in practice was "tremendously impressive". "If I was McLaren I'd be trying to do a deal with Cadillac or someone like that," he said on Sky Sports. Advertisement "You want to find him a seat somewhere to build up some racing experience. "I'd be trying to get him a deal somewhere else for a period of time and have him on some sort of a tether him back in, like Mercedes have done in the past with George Russell." What comes next? Heading into the Austrian Grand Prix, Dunne leads the Formula 2 standings by three points ahead of Dutch driver Richard Verschoor. The Offaly driver has won in Bahrain and Imola, and claimed pole position in Monaco. After his impressive F1 debut, Dunne returned to his Rodin Motorsport Formula 2 car for qualifying for the seventh round of the season. Advertisement He posted the seventh fastest time and will start from fourth in the reverse grid sprint race on Saturday (13:15 BST), and will line-up where he qualified for the feature race on Sunday (09:00 BST).
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Automotive
- Irish Daily Mirror
Austrian GP Practice 1 LIVE updates as Ireland's Alex Dunne takes to McLaren car
The Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix is upon us this weekend, and first practice offers the drivers the opportunity to get dialled into the circuit ahead of qualifying and the race. McLaren hold a healthy lead in the constructor's championship, while Oscar Piastri will hope to extend his driver's championship lead. The championship leaders will give Offaly's Alex Dunne a run out in Lando Norris's MCL39, making him the first driver from Ireland to compete in an F1 weekend in 22 years. The F2 championship leader will have a busy morning, having topped the F2 practice session earlier on before stepping into the McLaren. After the session he will have to dash back to Rodin Motorsport to participate in F2 qualifying. It's a hectic weekend in Spielberg as the Red Bull Ring hosts both F2 and F3 this weekend. The chasing pack have made steps in recent weeks to eat into McLaren's advantage after George Russell's victory in Canada last time out.
Metro
a day ago
- Automotive
- Metro
Why Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc miss Austria Grand Prix practice
Lando Norris' pursuit of the Formula 1 championship will be disrupted today as he will miss first practice for the Austrian Grand Prix. The McLaren driver has arrived at the Red Bull Ring off the back of colliding with teammate and championship rival Oscar Piastri in Canada. The crash, which Norris took full responsibility for, knocked him out of the grand prix and leaves him 22 points behind Piastri in the standings as we near the halfway point of the season. Victory in Austria would go a long way to restoring the Brit's confidence and could even see him retake lead of the championship if Piastri suffers a poor result. But Norris, as well as Sir Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, will play no part in FP1 on Friday. As per regulations, each F1 team is obliged to run a rookie driver in each of their cars in a practice session at two grand prix this season. McLaren have opted to use Austria for one of these runs, with Norris selected to make way on this occasion for rising star Alex Dunne. The 19-year-old is currently leading the Formula 2 championship and will be the first Irish driver to take part in an F1 session since Ralph Firman in 2003. 'It's an amazing opportunity. I'm really looking forward to getting laps in behind the wheel of the MCL39 and supporting the team with the setup for the race weekend ahead,' Dunne said. 'It's a great step within my development with the McLaren Driver Development Programme, and I'm really excited to join the team trackside.' Friday, June 27 Practice 1 – 12.30pm Practice 2 – 4pm Saturday, June 28 Practice 3 – 11.30am Qualifying – 3pm Sunday, June 29 Race – 2pm Ferrari have confirmed that Leclerc will be replaced by Swedish F2 star Dino Beganovic, as was the case at the Bahrain Grand Prix in April. Norris and Leclerc will be back behind the wheel for the rest of the weekend, starting with the second practice session later today. Following his shocking crash with George Russell in Spain, Max Verstappen is on the verge of a one race ban from Formula 1. More Trending The reigning champion has picked up 11 points on his superlicence in the last 12 months, with just one more needed to earn a suspension. The Red Bull star avoided trouble in Canada but will need to do so again in Austria or he will be suspended for the British Grand Prix next weekend. Thankfully for Verstappen, two of his current penalty points expire on Monday, which will lessen his chances of picking up a ban from that point onwards. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: The primal reason we find F1 drivers so goddamn sexy MORE: World's 'most liveable city' for 2025 revealed — knocking Vienna off the top spot MORE: The moment 'devastated' Lewis Hamilton ran over groundhog during Canadian Grand Prix
Newsweek
a day ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Sainz Lifts Lid on Lando Norris' Frustration Inside McLaren F1 Garage
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Williams Racing Formula One driver Carlos Sainz has revealed startling comments made by McLaren driver Lando Norris about the 2025 MCL39 F1 car. The comments arrive days after Norris crashed into his teammate, Oscar Piastri, at the Canadian Grand Prix. Sainz said ahead of the upcoming race weekend in Austria that Norris is "lacking a bit of the feeling" with the car compared to last year's MCL38, which helped Norris challenge Max Verstappen for the 2024 championship battle. While Verstappen managed to secure his fourth title over Norris due to his racing prowess, the impressive battle between the two drivers placed Norris as a strong championship rival for this year. Carlos Sainz of Spain and Williams walks in the Paddock during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 26, 2025 in Spielberg, Austria. Carlos Sainz of Spain and Williams walks in the Paddock during previews ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Austria at Red Bull Ring on June 26, 2025 in Spielberg, since the start of the 2025 season, Norris has been overshadowed by Piastri, who has improved his race starts, leading to flawless qualifying and race performances. Piastri leads the 2025 championship battle with 198 points, 22 more than Norris in second with 176 points. While the points gap doesn't guarantee a championship victory for Piastri, it does represent a situation that has been challenging for Norris. McLaren overhauled its car over the winter break to smooth the rough edges and build on last year's strong foundation, a step that might have altered certain characteristics of the car, especially how it feels to drive. Sainz highlighted Norris's ability to win a championship but revealed the problem he was facing with the 2025 title contender. The Spaniard said: "It has not been easy for Lando," he told F1. "When I talk to him, he clearly is lacking a bit of the feeling he had with the car, compared to previous years. It's a bit unfortunate that that happens exactly a year after he's fighting for the world championship. "It's, I think the fate, and somehow the way that F1 can go. We've seen the careers of many drivers being compromised by having a year where the car just doesn't seem to go exactly where you like. You can name Daniel [Ricciardo], for example, when he changed to McLaren. "If that happens exactly the year that there is a championship car, it's unfortunate, and that is why F1 is such a complex sport, because it doesn't depend purely on you and your talent but also on a lot of things coming together at the same time and at the right time. "My feeling is that Lando, as a driver, has the capacity to turn things around with his talent, with his speed. There are still plenty of races where anything can happen, and it will all come down to whether he can put those laps together in quali at the right time." As F1 teams are expected to switch their focus to the 2026 car soon, it remains to be seen if McLaren addresses this concern with the MCL39.
