Alex Dunne isn’t done with F1 weekends just yet.
The McLaren junior says he’ll be back in an FP1 session at least once more before the 2025 season is out, building on a tidy debut at the Austrian Grand Prix that turned a few heads in the paddock. “There is going to be maybe one or two FP1s coming up in the year,” the 19-year-old confirmed during a Q&A at Mondello Park’s Carole Nash Historic Festival. “They’re a good opportunity to show that I should be in F1.”
It’s been a breakout year for Dunne in Formula 2. The Irishman has banked two wins and four further podiums in his rookie campaign, sitting fifth in the standings despite a costly disqualification in Belgium and other penalties that blunted an early title lead. The form has done exactly what form is supposed to do: push his name into 2026 conversations.
Where those conversations lead is anyone’s guess, including his. “At the minute, my guess is probably as good as everyone else’s,” he admitted. “The most important thing is to focus on F2… to give myself the best opportunity of being an F1 driver, the way I’m going to do that is by winning F2.”
McLaren’s rookie-run obligations for 2025 help his cause. Teams must field a rookie twice in each car across the season; Dunne has already ticked one of those boxes for Woking, while Pato O’Ward is slated to do the same in Mexico City. That still leaves two rookie FP1 slots to fill, and Dunne is in the frame.
Looking further ahead, the road into McLaren is blocked for 2026, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri under contract. That shifts the spotlight elsewhere. The paddock has linked Dunne to potential openings at Cadillac or Alpine, depending on how the market shakes out. One widely whispered scenario has Sergio Perez heading to Cadillac, which could make Dunne a contender to partner the Mexican. Alpine, meanwhile, has also been mentioned as a landing spot alongside Pierre Gasly.
Beyond that, the broader 2026 grid remains a jigsaw with a few pieces still face down. Red Bull’s picture after Max Verstappen isn’t nailed on, Racing Bulls’ lineup is fluid, and Mercedes’ final configuration has been the subject of steady speculation. For a rookie on the rise, that uncertainty is opportunity.
Dunne’s focus, though, is refreshingly simple: keep winning now, earn the call later. If his Austrian FP1 was the audition, the next one’s a reminder. And if he keeps driving like he has in F2, it won’t be the last time we see his name on a timing tower on a Friday.
