14 hours ago
- Automotive
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish prodigy Alex Dunne gushes with emotion when he sees Dad after F1 debut
Irish racing prodigy Alex Dunne gushed with emotion as he met a proud father following his Formula 1 racing debut on Friday.
Dunne was let drive for Team McLaren in place of Lando Norris for this afternoon's FP1 session and exceeded the lofty expectations thrown his way as he clocked the fourth fastest time, behind only George Russell, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri.
And the 19-year-old was emotional throughout the day as he embraced his father, Noel.
"I don't even know where to start. Super, super happy. It's safe to say it went pretty well," Dunne told McLaren's social media team after the session.
"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 help the team improve as much as they can for FP2, FP3, and then onwards into the weekend. To have the pace that I had and show was I am capable on the F1 stage is something pretty special."
On concluding the session, a delighted Dunne said: "I want to thank everyone. A little boy's dream came true; that was definitely the best day of my life. Thanks, everyone, [it] means a lot."
By competing on Friday, Dunne is the first Irish racing driver to feature on the stage since Ralph Firman in 2003, and there will be justifiable hype surrounding the Offaly teen.
Dunne currently sits top of the Formula Two standings, and a strong finish to the season, accompanied by some more opportunities, could mean he could make a real name for himself in the sport.
McLaren team boss Andrea Stella took time to speak to Sky Sports after the race, where he branded Dunne 'diligent' and 'impressive' while also tempering expectations, saying his fast lap times came later when his fuel was down.
