Overview

• McLaren said it has ended its contract with Driver Development Programme member Alex Dunne and described the parting as amicable, effective immediately.
• Posting on social media, Dunne said he had mutually decided to leave and that he is very excited for what comes next.
• Dunne’s rookie F2 season includes feature wins in Bahrain and Imola, two poles and multiple podiums, plus eye-catching FP1 outings for McLaren where he was fourth fastest on debut in Austria within a tenth of Oscar Piastri.
• With Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri under contract for 2026, McLaren’s senior seats are unavailable, and reporting indicates Red Bull is interested in adding Dunne to its programme.
• It remains unclear why talks broke down, with reporting suggesting McLaren offered options beyond this season that were not agreed, and Dunne still has two F2 rounds left to contest.