Oscar Piastri replaced at Italian Grand Prix as McLaren star releases statement

Rising star Alex Dunne will get behind the wheel for McLarenonce again this season during first practice at the Italian Grand Prix as he steps in forOscar Piastri. The 19-year-old will pilot the championship-leading MCL39 on Friday at Monza following his initial taste of Formula One action during practice at the Austrian Grand Prix back in June.

There's considerable excitement surrounding Dunne's prospects. He turned plenty of heads when he finished fourth in the timing sheets during that summer session in Austria.

Racing at the Red Bull Ring, where he came within a 10th of a second of Piastri's time, he became the first Irish driver to participate in a Formula 1 weekend in more than 22 years.

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Dunne, who competes for Rodin Motorsport in F2, took to social media to share his thoughts on his second F1 appearance. He posted on Instagram: "I'm super excited to be back for my second FP1 with McLaren in Monza this weekend.

"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 very big smile on my face.

"Really looking forward to it. 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."

Dunne presently occupies fifth place in the F2 championship table having secured two victories and six podium finishes in his debut campaign. And Dunne may have been paying close attention to Lando Norris' earlier suggestions that he could walk away from F1 if he secures the championship, reports the Express.

Whilst the Briton lost ground to Piastri following his retirement at the Dutch Grand Prix, with the Australian now holding a 34-point advantage over his team-mate with nine races left, 25-year-old Norris said how he's relishing each race in this campaign due to his regular victories.

"I'm enjoying this season a lot more now because I'm winning – than the last few seasons when we were not winning," Norris declared. "That's just because you want success and you want to be on top. It's better for everyone in any sport you ever do."

Norris made reference to Nico Rosberg's choice to step away from the sport after securing his first world championship in 2016 when he defeated Lewis Hamilton. He added: "You're always going to be happier when you're winning than when you're not.

"I think it's hard to do when you're not winning. That's why probably sometimes it's good to go out when you've won, like Nico."

When questioned whether retirement would be a genuine possibility should he claim the world title this season, Norris replied: "No, I don't know. Maybe. Maybe. I might not be here next year. You never know."

Norris will be hoping for a better result at Monza on Sunday as the championship battle between the McLaren pair rolls on. Piastri has been perceived to possess an ice-cold attitude on the track and it's one the 24-year-old said has been moulded throughout his years in racing.

Speaking to The Guardian late last month, he said: "There’s definitely been a lot of lessons through experiences, when you’ve been racing for 15 years now, there’s a lot of tough moments in there.

"There’s obviously the challenges of just going racing but then there’s the challenges of moving from home. Learning how to navigate life alongside racing, being far away from your family and friends, which I’m sure has moulded me to some degree as well.

"I never had any dramatic life experiences in my childhood but even just little things of having to make decisions for yourself and problem-solve. Once I learned to control things I could control and not worry about everything else in life it probably naturally translated to racing."