Overview

• McLaren said it has ended Dunne’s Driver Development Programme contract with immediate effect, while Dunne called the split mutual and said he is very excited for what’s to come.
• Reporting indicates negotiations over Dunne’s next steps broke down, with McLaren unable to offer a clear route to an F1 race seat given long-term deals for Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
• Dunne’s rookie F2 season features two feature-race wins, two poles and seven podiums, and he impressed in FP1 at the Red Bull Ring by lapping within a tenth of Oscar Piastri before a second FP1 at Monza.
• Multiple outlets report strong Red Bull interest, though accounts differ on how advanced talks are, and a Red Bull spokesperson said the team comments only on drivers who are signed.
• Dunne remains fifth in the F2 standings and says his focus is on the final two rounds in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.