Alex Dunne close to new F1 team deal after sudden McLaren exit – report

Alex Dunne is on the verge of reaching a deal to join the Red Bull
junior programme, according to a report. McLaren and Dunne
announced on Thursday that they had parted ways with immediate
effect after almost a year in collaboration. Dunne was handed two
FP1 outings this year with the Woking-based squad, as well as
private tests in older machinery. RacingNews365 understands that
Dunne and McLaren were not aligned when it came to the direction of
the Irishman's career. McLaren currently has two young drivers in
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, both of whom are tied down to
long-term deals. Following confirmation that Dunne is no longer
under contract at McLaren, BBC Sport has stated that Dunne is close
to agreeing a deal to join Red Bull's driver academy. Should that
be the case, the report details that Dunne would stay in Formula 2
for another season in 2026 with the hope of gaining a promotion to
F1 in 2027 with Racing Bulls. It also states that Dunne was in
talks with Alpine over an F1 move, but such negotiations have
collapsed. Red Bull's junior programme has handed a route to F1 for
many drivers, including four-time champion Max Verstappen and
current drivers Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly, who have
moved on to other teams. Dunne currently sits fifth in the F2
drivers' standings with two rounds to go.