ALEXANDER DUNNE LEAVES MCLAREN: WHAT IS THE FUTURE LOOKING LIKE
Mclaren and young talent Alexander Dunne have parted ways with immediate effect today, October 2nd, in a surprising announcement from both parts.
Alex Dunne has taken part in two free practice sessions with Mclaren this season, in both Spielberg and Monza, and alongside his great campaign in FIA Formula 2, it seemed that he attracted some Formula 1 team bosses.
By having no opportunities of a full-time seat in Mclaren at the pinnacle of motorsport, Dunne had to look for options in other teams, and he certainly did.
The Irishman sits fifth in the FIA Formula 2 standings at the moment, with 5 wins and 5 further podiums, with 130 points, 58 behind the championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli.
What future awaits Dunne after the departure
The first point we have to make is, that at the end of this season, Dunne will find himself with 22 points in the superlicence, excluding the ones he will earn from his FIA Formula 2 season. The points of a superlicence always expire three years after earning them, meaning he will lose the Italian Formula 4 ones.
It means that, Alex has to finish third (to earn 20 points) in the FIA Formula 2 standings this year, in order to get to the 40 points that allow a driver to race in Formula 1.
Red Bull is the team that has the biggest interest in the Irish, having got in touch with the driver earlier this season.
In case Dunne succeeds in finishing third in this year’s F2 championship, and Red Bull hires him as a junior driver, Alex could see himself joining Racing Bulls alongisde Arvid Lindblad next season, with Red Bull terminating the contract of both Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson, and Isack Hadjar graduates to the main team.
Should Alex finish fourth or lower in the F2 standings, a seat at Campos in 2026 could wait for him in order to get the remaining points for the superlicence.
Flavio Briatore also showed potential interest in Alex Dunne earlier this season. Since Colapinto’s seat is still empty for 2026, Dunne could become an option for the French team, who still has Paul Aron and potentially F2 championship leader Leonardo Fornaroli, although Briatore said lately that he wants to keep Colapinto for the team’s stability.
The possibilities are many, but if Dunne wants a seat in Formula 1, he needs the third place in the standings in this year’s Formula 2 championship.
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