Alex Dunne: From McLaren junior program to F1 debut in one year

Alex Dunne, a 19-year-old driver from Ireland, has experienced rapid career progression since joining McLaren’s young driver program last year.

The County Offaly native — who won the 2022 British F4 championship — is now competing for the F2 title while making his F1 practice session debut with world champions McLaren.

“Things have happened pretty quickly, especially with how it’s turned around from last year. I’m proud that even when things were difficult, I stayed calm and confident to continue working on what I knew I was capable of,” Dunne stated.

Despite a Monaco incident that cost him the F2 points lead and forced a temporary social media break, Dunne bounced back by reclaiming the championship lead in Barcelona and setting the fourth-fastest time during F1 practice in Austria.

“Jumping into F1 from F2 for FP1 wasn’t actually that difficult. The F1 car has so much grip that it feels like it has unlimited capabilities,” he explained.

While both McLaren seats are occupied by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri with long-term contracts, Dunne remains focused on his primary goal — winning this year’s F2 championship before considering his next career move.