Alex Dunne: Irish driver to participate in opening Austrian Grand Prix practice with McLaren

Dunne will turn into the primary Irish driver to take part in a grand prix weekend since Ralph Firman in 2003.

England-born Firman raced beneath an Irish licence for Jordan in 2003.

The final driver born on the island of Eire to compete in F1 was former Ferrari and Jaguar driver Eddie Irvine, who was from Northern Eire and raced beneath a UK licence from 1993 to 2002.

F1 groups have to supply younger or rookie drivers 4 observe periods within the 24-race season.

It has already been introduced that IndyCar star Pato O’Ward will run at his dwelling race in October’s Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix.

Dunne claimed a primary victory of the F2 season for Rodin Motorsport in Bahrain on the second spherical, and received once more at Imola in Could.

The Offaly driver additionally certified on pole place with a blistering lap in Monaco, however was deemed at fault and handed a grid penalty for a first-corner crash that took him, and a number of other different drivers, out of the race.

Nevertheless, he put in an outstanding drive on the following spherical in Barcelona to go from the penalty-inflicted nineteenth to second, and reclaimed the championship lead with fifth place within the characteristic race.

The opening F1 observe session in Austria takes place at 12:30 BST on Friday.

Dunne, a former British F4 champion and GB3 Championship runner-up, will proceed his F2 marketing campaign on the Pink Bull Ring in Austria on prime of his F1 commitments.