Why Stella is erring on the side of caution despite sensational Dunne F1 debut

The Irish driver gradually became more comfortable behind the wheel and made no significant mistakes over the hour for McLaren.

Dunne set the fourth quickest time with a 1:05.766, which is just one tenth of a second slower than Piastri.

He was one of two rookie drivers on the track on Friday as Charles Leclerc entrusted Swede Dino Beganovic with his car in FP1.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was delighted with Dunne's efforts and praised the Irishman's raw speed.

The lap time was impressive, but Stella gave context that the rookie set the time later in the stint with lower fuel.

He said to Sky Sports F1: "First of all, before we look at the time, I think we have to acknowledge that he 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 television but definitely keeps the drivers very busy."

Dunne didn't step over the limits of his McLaren too soon, and Stella was encouraged by his performance.

Dunne is also impressing in Formula 2 this year and is leading the standings ahead of that series continuing at the Red Bull Ring.