Helmut Marko has confirmed that Red Bull are in discussions with Alex Dunne after the 19-year-old Irishman unexpectedly left McLaren’s Driver Development Programme. The split, announced by McLaren on Singapore GP media day, was described as a mutual decision with immediate effect, with the team wishing Dunne well for the future.
What happened
Despite impressing in 2025 with standout free practice outings for McLaren in F1 and a strong rookie Formula 2 campaign, Dunne and McLaren were "not aligned" on the direction of his career. That opened the door to Red Bull, with Marko telling the BBC that talks are underway now that the driver is free.
Marko’s view
Marko praised Dunne’s raw attributes and candidly assessed where he stands right now: he is "very aggressive, fast and has good car control," but also "making lots of mistakes" at the moment — a profile that he suggested is "very like a Red Bull driver."
Where Dunne could fit
Red Bull’s wider driver picture remains fluid ahead of 2026. Within its ranks, Arvid Lindblad is highly rated, while Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda are vying to retain race seats within the Red Bull fold, likely at Racing Bulls. Isack Hadjar is widely expected to be promoted to the senior Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen. Outside that ecosystem, Dunne had been loosely linked to the second Alpine seat, but Flavio Briatore is understood to be considering Franco Colapinto and Paul Aron as Pierre Gasly’s potential partners.
What it means for 2026—and next year
Should Dunne join Red Bull’s programme, it is anticipated he would continue in Formula 2 next season to consolidate his progress. The Rodin driver currently sits fifth in the F2 standings in his debut year at the level, with two rounds to go. He has banked two feature race wins and a further five podiums across the first 12 weekends.
Bottom line
Red Bull’s interest underlines Dunne’s trajectory: fast, feisty, and still polishing the edges. A move could give him the structure and opportunity to develop — with another year of F2 likely the logical next step.
