Why Alex Dunne left McLaren amid advanced Alpine talks

Former McLaren development driver Alex Dunne confirmed that it was his decision to part ways with the programme.

Claiming that it was a move absolutely necessary for his hopes of becoming a Formula 1 driver, a new opportunity could open up at Alpine, with advanced talks understood to be underway.

Alex Dunne pulled the trigger on McLaren split

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The 20-year-old Irishman is piecing together a promising junior career. He took multiple race wins in his rookie Formula 2 campaign, and will be back in 2026 for another year with Rodin.

Dunne also turned heads with his impressive FP1 performance at the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix, clocking the fourth-fastest time at the wheel of the McLaren MCL39.

As recently reported by PlanetF1.com, Dunne could be set to combine his 2026 F2 campaign with Alpine F1 reserve and test/development duties. Its is understood the Irishman has been in lengthy negotiations with Renault executive advisor Flavio Briatore.

Dunne is currently free of any F1 team affiliation having departed the McLaren driver development programme last year, an initiative that he had been a part of since 2024.

He has now confirmed that he left of his own volition, with a clear motive for that bold decision.

“For me, there’s a goal and a plan in place and that’s to be a Formula 1 driver,” Dunne explained to balls.ie.

“From the options that I knew I had, the decision we made was one that had to be made to be in F1. I think it’s as simple as that.

“It was actually my decision. When my dad and I were talking about it, he wasn’t 100 per cent sure. Normally, he’s the one who is 100 per cent sure!

“For me, I felt like it was the right decision. I’m more than comfortable with that.

“I think, moving forward, we should be in an alright place.”

In addition to his Austria 2025 FP1 appearance, Dunne again manned the McLaren in FP1 at the Italian Grand Prix later than year. Having taken over World Champion to be Lando Norris’ seat in Austria, Dunne stood in for Oscar Piastri at Monza.

He also drove McLaren’s 2023 car, the MCL60, at Zandvoort and COTA.

“Although I’m not still with them now, I’ll always thank McLaren for that opportunity and for what they did for me up until we decided to go our separate ways,” Dunne added.

“To have the opportunity this year to test an F1 car a couple of times outside of FP1 and then do two FP1s was obviously pretty special.”

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For a time, Dunne was linked with a switch to Red Bull. As first reported by PlanetF1.com, he met with Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s driver programme boss at the time, at the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix for introductory talks.

Despite describing Dunne as “very much like a Red Bull driver“, Marko later closed the door on any chance of a Red Bull deal.

Dunne faces a crucial 2026 F2 campaign, having last season missed out on the third place championship finish which he needed to obtain his FIA Super Licence.

A driver must collect 40 points over their latest three seasons of competition to obtain a Super Licence. F2 offers the greatest rewards, with the top three in the standings all receiving 40 points.

While dispensation processes exist – as Arvid Lindblad demonstrated – they cannot be relied on. Performance is therefore the most reliable means of obtaining a Super Licence, an essential element for any driver looking toward an F1 future.

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