McLaren drops Dunne from driver development program

McLaren has parted ways with young driver Alex Dunne with immediate effect, after failing to reach an agreement on the Irishman’s future opportunities.

Dunne has impressed as a member of McLaren's Formula 1 driver development program, particularly when he made his FP1 debut for the team in Austria earlier this year. A rookie in F2, Dunne won two of the first four feature races but his form has dipped and he now sits fifth, 58 points adrift of championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli.

RACER understands that McLaren did try and agree terms to continue with Dunne but that those offered were not deemed acceptable, and amid potential interest from Red Bull the decision was taken to end the 19-year-old’s contract early.

“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 program,” a McLaren statement read. “Alex will be released with immediate effect. We wish Alex all the best for his career going forward.”

McLaren currently has both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris under long-term contracts, with the team likely to wrap up its second consecutive constructors’ championship this weekend in Singapore.

Dunne is believed to have attracted interest from Red Bull, with Laurent Mekies’ team trying to identify the options in the driver market before committing to its line-up alongside Max Verstappen and its pairing at Racing Bulls for 2026.