FIA announce PENALTY for McLaren star who goes from hero to zero at Austrian Grand Prix

Photo: © IMAGO

Austrian Grand Prix

FIA announce PENALTY for McLaren star who goes from hero to zero at Austrian Grand Prix

A McLaren star had endured a rollercoaster weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 28 June 2025 18:13

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The FIA have confirmed a five-second time penalty for a McLaren star after an error in the Formula 2 sprint race at the Austrian Grand Prix.

As part of the mandatory rookie rule - where a team must run a rookie driver during FP1 in each car on two occasions - McLaren allowed their development driver and F2 star Alex Dunne to take part in the first practice session of the weekend at the Austrian GP.

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The Irish phenomenon surprised as the main star from FP1 in Austria, and was right away on the pace with McLaren, finishing the session with a time seven-hundredths away from championship leader Oscar Piastri.

When he’s not undertaking work as McLaren’s development driver, Dunne races full-time in the F2 championship where he has claimed two race victories and four podiums in 2025.

However, Dunne was unable to produce an impressive result during Saturday’s sprint race in Austria, where he was noted for a false start of the grid and handed a five-second time penalty by the stewards.

Could Alex Dunne be F1’s latest prospect?

Dunne’s heroics in FP1 earnt him praise from McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, who spoke to Sky Sports on Friday.

"I think we have to acknowledge that he [Dunne] has gone through quite an extensive plan of testing with some new parts, with some rake work, some adjustments on the steering wheel that we don't see on TV but definitely keeps the drivers very busy," Stella said.

"Alex has been quite diligent and impressive. Then he also had the chance to show some speed and no surprise, he's a fast driver.

"I think we need to be a bit careful looking at the lap times because his time came later on in the stint when the fuel was down but I think encouraging and impressive in terms of Alex himself and also I think a good session for McLaren."

Whilst McLaren have locked-in there driver lineup of Piastri and Norris for the future, if Dunne impresses in F2, and in any further FP1, sessions he could be a candidate for rival teams on the grid.

Furthermore, if new team Cadillac are looking for a young driver then Dunne could be yet another named added to the list of potential candidates.

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McLaren FIA Oscar Piastri Austrian Grand Prix Formula 2 Alex Dunne