Piastri to Hand Over McLaren Seat for Italian Grand Prix Practice
McLaren’s Formula 1 championship leader, Oscar Piastri, will cede his cockpit to rising talent Alex Dunne for the opening practice session of the Italian Grand Prix on September 4, 2025. The move fulfills Formula 1 regulations requiring teams to give rookie drivers seat time on four occasions throughout the season.
Dunne, a member of the McLaren driver development program since May 2024, previously drove for the team in FP1 at the Austrian Grand Prix, where he finished just 0.069 seconds behind Piastri. The 19-year-vintage will now get another opportunity to showcase his skills at the historic Monza circuit.
“My first one in Austria was an extremely special day for me, but I think to do it again in Monza, which is a track that’s so historic and prestigious, is definitely going to put a incredibly big smile on my face,” Dunne said. “Hopefully I can build and improve on what was already a strong outing in Austria, and help Lando and Oscar as much as possible going into their weekend.”
The regulation change aims to provide valuable experience for young drivers while minimizing disruption for established teams. Dunne’s participation comes as Piastri currently leads the championship standings, though McLaren has faced increased competition recently. Piastri recently acknowledged that McLaren’s pace hasn’t been as dominant at Monza as it has been on other tracks this season.
Dunne has enjoyed success in various racing series, including winning two feature races in the F2 championship with Rodin Motorsport. He is currently a contender in the F2 title race. Motorsport.com reports that Dunne has consistently performed well in every full-time championship he’s entered, except for a challenging F3 campaign last year.
Piastri, who has secured nine Formula One Grand Prix wins across four seasons, according to his Wikipedia profile, will return to the cockpit for FP2 and the remainder of the Italian Grand Prix weekend. The team hopes Dunne’s practice run will provide valuable data and insights to further optimize their setup for the race.
