McLaren end contract with F1 prodigy after Red Bull ‘talks’ revealed | F1 | Sport

McLaren has confirmed that they have ended their contract with junior prodigy Alex Dunne ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. The Irish starlet has reportedly held talks with Red Bull management as he looks to plot a route onto the Formula One grid.

According to a PlanetF1 report, discussions between Dunne’s team and Red Bull have already taken place, with the 19-year-old in contention for a Racing Bulls seat in 2026. With Isack Hadjar set for a promotion, Yuki Tsunoda, Liam Lawson, and teenage Brit Arvid Lindblad are the leading rivals for the two seats with the Faenza-based squad.

Within this quartet of options, Dunne is an interesting proposition. Both Tsunoda and Lawson are known quantities to Red Bull management, having failed to match up to Max Verstappen during their stints in Milton Keynes. Lindblad, meanwhile, is a highly rated prospect, but has struggled since winning two of his first 11 Formula Two races.

Now, a significant hurdle has been cleared. “McLaren Racing has ended its contract with McLaren Driver Development Programme member Alex Dunne,” read a statement published ahead of media day at the Singapore GP.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Alex over the last year and to have been able to contribute to his success and growth as a driver through the McLaren Driver Development programme. Alex will be released with immediate effect. We wish Alex all the best for his career going forward.”

While Dunne’s next steps are yet to be confirmed, this wouldn’t be the first time that McLaren have released a junior driver to pursue a full-time career on the F1 grid. Gabriel Bortoleto won the F2 crown as part of Andrea Stella’s junior squad, but found his opportunity with Sauber in 2025.

“Of course, I want to be an F1 driver,” he told The Independent earlier this season “How or when that happens? I don’t know. And while that’s the ultimate goal, my attitude has always been to just focus on F2.”

Dunne added: “I’ve spoken about this with McLaren. If I focus too much on getting an F1 seat, I can quickly get wrapped up in it and forget about what I need to do in F2.” With two rounds of the 2025 F2 campaign remaining, he sits fifth in the standings, 58 points behind Leonardo Fornaroli, who is tracking for back-to-back junior titles.