Irish Racing Prospect Alex dunne Departs McLaren Driver Program
Alex Dunne, a rising star in Formula 2, has left McLaren’s driver advancement programme, the team announced today. The 19-year-old Irish driver expressed his excitement for future opportunities,signaling the end of his association with the Formula 1 team after less than a year.
Dunne joined McLaren in May 2024 and quickly made an impression, becoming the first Irish driver to participate in a Formula 1 weekend in 22 years with a practice session appearance at the Austrian Grand Prix in June. He followed that with another first practice outing at the Italian grand Prix in September, finishing fourth in Austria, just 0.069 seconds behind championship leader Oscar Piastri. Despite showing promise,Dunne’s F2 campaign has been hampered by technical infringements and collisions,impacting his title contention after securing two feature race wins in Bahrain and Imola.
“From today I’ve mutually decided to part ways with the McLaren driver development programme,” Dunne posted on social media, adding an ‘eye’ emoji. “I’d like to thank every individual at McLaren that has helped me develop and improve as a driver…to have my first opportunity to drive an F1 car followed by two FP1 sessions is something I’ll always hold very close to my heart. Thank you papaya family.”
mclaren acknowledged Dunne’s contributions, stating, “It has been a pleasure to work with Alex over the last year and to contribute to his growth as a driver.We wish Alex all the best for his career going forward.”
Dunne’s departure comes as McLaren has no open race seats for 2026, with both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris currently under contract.The final two rounds of the Formula 2 season will take place in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, other teams are still finalizing their driver lineups for 2026, with Red Bull yet to confirm Max Verstappen’s teammate or the drivers for their Racing Bulls team, and Alpine yet to announce who will race alongside Pierre Gasly.
