'I've always wanted to reach F1. Now it's a step closer'

"I said to myself astatine nan commencement of nan year, 'what if I ne'er get to thrust a Formula 1 car?'."

Alex Dunne didn't request to worry.

After stepping into Formula 2 this twelvemonth - nan class beneath F1 - nan 19-year-old McLaren improvement driver has impressed pinch his velocity and leads nan standings pinch 2 victories to his name.

That shape led to a first Formula 1 outing successful a backstage arena astatine Zandvoort successful nan Netherlands successful May.

And now he will go nan first Irish driver to participate connected a Formula 1 play successful 22 years erstwhile he deputises for Lando Norris successful nan opening believe convention for nan Austrian Grand Prix.

"When maine and my dada sewage told we would beryllium capable to thrust a F1 car this year, my dada sewage a small spot affectional and I laughed astatine him," joked Dunne.

"Nah, I sewage affectional arsenic well. It's a large thing.

"We person ever wanted to make it for Formula 1 and it's 1 measurement closer."

Driving a Formula 1 car astatine immoderate clip is simply a large deal, and doing it connected a Grand Prix play successful a championship-leading car is simply a immense opportunity.

McLaren says it is not only a reward for his form, but a improvement opportunity for nan teenager.

Dunne has a bigger image to attraction connected too. When he pulls backmost into nan garage, he will switch nan McLaren MCL39 for his Formula 2 car and it's backmost to nan time occupation arsenic he tries to triumph nan championship.

He presently leads nan standings aft six rounds, mostly acknowledgment 2 victories successful Bahrain and Imola, a rod position successful Monaco and an awesome betterment thrust from 19th to 2nd successful Barcelona.

Dunne whitethorn only beryllium 19, but he recognised nan bigger image successful beforehand of him.

"It's important not to attraction excessively overmuch connected F1, it's important to attraction connected F2 and trying to do arsenic good arsenic I can.

"If I get excessively wrapped up successful it I tin quickly hide astir what I request to do this year.

"The full constituent of focusing connected F2 and making judge I person bully results this year, is truthful hopefully past astatine nan extremity of nan twelvemonth location is an opportunity to beryllium a F1 driver.

"There are nary guarantees, but that's what I'm moving towards and that's what I want."

Wednesday, 7 May is simply a time that Dunne will ne'er hide arsenic he stepped into a Formula 1 car for nan first clip astatine Zandvoort.

After watching nan team's regular drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who are first and 2nd successful nan F1 standings, it was Dunne's move to deed nan circuit.

"To person that opportunity was beautiful amazing.

"McLaren person made it beautiful clear that they judge successful maine to do good and they person been really pushing maine and supporting me.

"I sewage to watch Lando and Oscar thrust and speak to them successful item to spot what I could learn.

"There's a batch to study from some of them and I tin return that guardant pinch me."

Dunne accepts "there's nary guarantee I'll make it to F1" contempt his upwards profession trajectory.

"It was somewhat easier to accommodate to than I expected. The car was unbelievable. The grip, nan brakes, everything," Dunne said connected his Zandvoort experience.

"Even successful a consecutive statement it feels fast. When you are racing successful F2 aliases F3, it doesn't needfully consciousness that speedy erstwhile you put your ft down.

"But erstwhile I put my ft down successful nan F1 car, I was for illustration 'wow, this is beautiful quick'.

"Even nan G-forces you propulsion done nan corners, astatine nan extremity of nan time my cervix was a small spot sore.

"Some of nan worldly you tin do successful nan car, you wonderment really it's moreover possible."

Dunne's racing CV is impressive. He dominated nan British F4 title successful 2022 and successful nan aforesaid twelvemonth he vanished 2nd successful Italian F4, finishing 2nd to Mercedes F1 driver Kimi Antonelli.

He past vanished 2nd successful nan British GB3 title successful his rookie year, and impressed connected his debut astatine nan Macau Grand Prix earlier he stepped up to nan F1 support bid successful 2024 pinch MP Motorsport successful Formula 3.

He claimed 2 podiums, including 1 astatine nan last information successful Monza, but was 14th successful nan standings successful an up-and-down campaign.

"It's bully this twelvemonth to beryllium backmost to wherever I deliberation I should be. I deliberation it proves what was happening past twelvemonth wasn't because of me."

At only nan 2nd information successful Bahrain, Dunne dominated nan characteristic title to go nan first Irish driver to triumph successful Formula 2. It was normal work resumed.

"I ever expected it to beryllium good, I possibly didn't expect it to beryllium this good.

"It was complete nan past mates of laps wherever it was like, 'this is really going to hap beautiful early'.

"When I pulled successful astatine nan extremity of nan title and seen nan team, my dad, Zak Brown [McLaren CEO] and each of McLaren opinionated there, it was very nice.

"A cool infinitesimal for maine was connected nan podium, connected nan different broadside of nan way location was immoderate group holding an Irish emblem pinch my sanction connected it. It's thing I'm very proud of."

Another awesome triumph followed astatine Imola, arsenic Dunne carved his measurement done nan bid to triumph his 2nd title of nan year.

At nan pursuing round, Dunne group a stunning thigh to return rod position astir nan celebrated streets of Monaco. However, he was penalised for a first-lap collision and handed a 10-place grid punishment for nan adjacent title successful Barcelona.

Starting successful 19th, Dunne capitalised connected a precocious pit extremity for caller tyres to decorativeness 2nd and regain nan title lead he mislaid successful Monaco.

In Dunne's words, that type of betterment shows nan "mental resilience" required to conflict for nan title - some arsenic a driver and his Rodin Motorsport team.

"That's thing I tin beryllium proud of, each clip we person had thing difficult aliases spell wrong, we person travel backmost and done thing beautiful special.

"The truth we are capable to hide astir nan small things that person happened and bounce backmost consecutive distant is simply a very bully value to have."

Dunne acknowledges he is successful a bully spot successful some his profession and nan Formula 2 standings, "but it's important that it's aft 14 rounds and not six".

"It's important to enactment consistent, not effort and do thing crazy, person bully qualifying and people bully points successful nan sprint title and nan feature.

"If I support doing what I'm doing, and support chipping distant astatine it, past hopefully nan opportunities will come."

You tin travel Alex Dunne's first Formula 1 convention astatine nan Austrian Grand Prix connected nan BBC Sport website and app from Friday astatine 12:30 BST.