Alex Dunne has been released from his contract in what can only be described as a shock move by McLaren.
The Irish Formula 2 star, who currently sits fifth in the standings, has taken two victories this season, featuring on the podium seven times. Dunne also participated in Formula 1 practice sessions at the Austrian and Italian Grands Prix this year.
McLaren pulled a similar move with Gabriel Bortoleto last year, which allowed him to sign a long-term deal with Sauber. Perhaps there’s a chance that with two elite drivers locked down for years to come, McLaren couldn’t match what other outfits could offer.
1996 champion Damon Hill liked Dunne replacing Lando Norris for a session earlier in the season, calling it ‘meteoric’ for him. Despite his release, McLaren were seeking a 2026 F1 seat for Dunne just a few weeks ago, with Alpine viewed as a potentially good fit.
READ MORE: Who is Alex Dunne? The McLaren junior driver’s age, stats and more
Alex Dunne spotted talking to Helmut Marko about ‘a seat’ on the 2026 F1 grid
With two rounds to go in the Formula 2 season, Dunne is an outsider for the title and trails championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli by 58 points, but he has had his fair share of bad luck.
Journalist Julianne Cerasoli was one of the first to report his McLaren departure, revealing that there is a ‘rumour’ he has been talking to Red Bull’s Helmut Marko about ‘a seat’.
“Bortoleto’s contract with McLaren, for example, had a clause that released him immediately if he got a seat in F1. It is likely that the same will happen with Dunne. And there is indeed rumour that he spoke to Marko about a seat,” she said on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Adding more drivers to the mix feels like it would be an added complication for a team that already must decide to omit one of their own for next season.
Red Bull’s 2026 line-up is obvious, but Dunne’s release throws a spanner in the works. The Race reports that the Irishman securing a gig for 2026 is ‘unlikely’, but it doesn’t rule him out of contention during the 2026 campaign, or for 2027.
READ MORE: Helmut Marko now willing to ignore one Arvid Lindblad shortcoming to offer him a 2026 F1 seat
What has Alex Dunne achieved in his junior racing career?
While Dunne has been impressive at times throughout his junior career, his results don’t stand out like an Oscar Piastri or a Charles Leclerc.
The 19-year-old won the British F4 Championship in 2022, before finishing second in GB3 the year after. In 2024, he made the leap to Formula 3, but could only muster a 14th-place finish.
Faster cars seem to have suited him as Formula 2 has netted far more encouraging results, and it might be an indication of what is yet to come.
With teams interested in his services, bagging himself more test time will be important in a bid to prove his credentials. For now, his eggs should be in the 2027 basket.