Dunne and Beganovic set to take part in Austrian Grand Prix FP1

Rookie drivers Dino Beganovic and Alexander Dunne are set to take part in the opening practice session at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.

Hitech TGR driver Beganovic will jump into the Ferrari for the second time on a race weekend, having driven Charles Leclerc’s SF-25 at the opening session at the Bahrain Grand Prix back in April.

The Swede is set to do the same again this weekend, where he will be joined Dunne, who will jump into Lando Norris’ McLaren for the 60-minute outing.

Speaking after the announcement, Dunne, who is the current leader in the Formula 2 Drivers’ Championship 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.”

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella also added: “It’s great to be able to give Alex the opportunity to run in Free Practice 1, and for him to get valuable time behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car as part of his development. The team are pleased to be working with him more closely, and for his support across the weekend, where he will be providing useful feedback to help with the car’s set-up. The rookie sessions are fantastic for seeing the talent of tomorrow and enabling that rare chance to get time in a current car, so we look forward to seeing him on track.”