Alex Dunn: I went faster than could have been expected.

      McLaren drivers distinguished themselves on Friday, rising to the top of the practice timesheet at the Austrian track. But this is equally true for Alex Dunne, who, in his debut session, posted a very respectable fourth-fastest time—something rarely achieved by rookies.

      Alex Dunne (4th in the first session): “I am very pleased, regardless of the result I showed at the end of the session. More importantly, I completed the session cleanly, without mistakes, and we went through all the checks of the new components we had planned—so overall, everything went smoothly. I think I felt increasingly comfortable behind the wheel as the session progressed, and although I had already driven McLaren cars from previous years in testing, I was faster this time than could have been expected. That gave me confidence, which allowed me to improve and put together a good lap at the end of the session. I think I gained great experience today, and on that fast lap, I tried to apply everything I had learned during the session, bring it all together, and I was able to post a good result. Thanks to the McLaren team, who helped me prepare well, which made my task much easier.”

      Lando Norris (1st): “I missed the first session, but I have nothing against that. In the second [session], I felt much calmer behind the wheel; the car was quick from the very first lap, and Alex gathered some very solid data in the first practice as well. He was quick, too, and that helped the team decide on the right direction for working with the car ahead of the second session. We still need to understand whether we should continue moving in the same direction, and right now, we’re in the process of searching for the optimal setup. All in all, the session went well, but we need to figure out how to make the car even faster.”

      Oscar Piastri (2nd): “The results are quite good, but Max Verstappen was just a fraction behind us, and I think he poses a real threat this weekend. But the car felt good, the pace was strong—overall, it was a positive first day. Some of the components we introduced in Canada are not being used this weekend, as they can’t be considered upgrades—they were simply different versions of certain aerodynamic elements. But all the updates that, in our view, improve performance are fitted to both cars.”