Norris to be replaced for the Austrian Grand Prix by this driver

13:18, 23 Jun

bySavannah Lenz

Lando Norris will sit out of the first practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix. Instead, McLaren have decided to allow a rookie to take over and drive during FP1.

Current Formula 2 championship leader, Alex Dunne, will hop in the MCL39 during the race weekend. On Friday, 27 June at 11:30 AM (BST), Dunne will drive for Norris during the first hour of racing.

Norris to miss FP1 in Austria

This is the first time this year that Norris is giving up FP1 for a rookie driver. Last year, it was IndyCar driver, Pato O'ward who took over.

Dunne is a part of the McLaren driver development program and races for Rodin Motorsport in F2. He is currently in the lead by three points.

He said, "It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to drive during FP1 in Austria. 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."

“I’ve been preparing well for the sessions, taking part in Testing of Previous Cars tests in the MCL60 and spending time on the simulator, which has been a fantastic learning experience. Thank you to Zak, Andrea and Alessandro for their faith in me. It’s a great step within my development with the McLaren Driver Development Programme, and I’m really excited to join the team trackside.”

Norris is not the only driver missing FP1, as Charles Leclerc will also be absent. However, both will be back in his car for the second practice session.