McLaren have announced the exit of an F1 sensation, with Red Bull reportedly interested in signing the driver ahead of the 2026 Formula 1 season
Alex Dunne has left the McLaren junior driver programme, the team has confirmed.
The announcement arrives alongside strong speculation that the Irish Formula 2 racer could be in the sights of teams still finalising their Formula 1 driver line-ups for the 2026 season.
Dunne, 19, has established himself this year as a promising talent in his maiden F2 campaign. He has spent much of the year battling for the championship, although he now finds himself as an outsider with two rounds left, having dropped to fifth in the standings and trailing leader Leonardo Fornaroli by 58 points.
However, the Irish youngster truly made his mark during free practice sessions with McLaren in an F1 car this year. Notably, during his maiden F1 outing, he clocked the fourth fastest time in FP1 at the Austrian Grand Prix in June, which drew widespread attention to his abilities.
Dunne was given another opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities in an F1 car during first practice at the Italian Grand Prix last month. But now, amidst considerable conjecture about his future, McLaren have announced that he has been released from their young driver programme with immediate effect.
A statement from the team read: “McLaren Racing has ended its contract with McLaren Driver Development Programme member Alex Dunne. It has been a pleasure to work with Alex over the last year and to have been able to contribute to his success and growth as a driver through the McLaren Driver Development programme.
“Alex will be released with immediate effect. We wish Alex all the best for his career going forward.”
The announcement will only fuel rumours that Dunne could be snapped up by another F1 team before the 2026 season kicks off. Red Bull are yet to finalise their driver line-up across both teams for next year, apart from Max Verstappen, whilst Alpine haven’t made their final decision on who will partner Pierre Gasly.
Dunne has been touted for both outfits, but the strongest rumours suggest he could be in Red Bull’s sights. It’s believed team bosses have been impressed by the young Irishman’s development since making the jump to F2, and he could well become a target for their driver academy programme.
However, such a switch wouldn’t guarantee Dunne a 2026 race seat immediately, particularly as Red Bull already have more contenders for their sister team Racing Bulls than available grid positions. Isack Hadjar is tipped for promotion to the main team alongside Verstappen, whilst the futures of Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson hang in the balance.
British teenager Arvid Lindblad is expected to be the next talent to emerge from Red Bull’s conveyor belt and is also being considered for one of those Racing Bulls drives next season. This scenario would already see either Tsunoda or Lawson axed completely, whilst bringing Dunne into the mix could mean both lose their spots on the F1 grid.
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