Just a few days before the 2026 Australian Grand Prix, with the green light on the Formula 1 World Championship and other championships such as Formula 2 and Formula 3, Alpine has announced the entry into its Academy of a driver already known in the Circus: it is the 20-year-old Irishman Alex Dunne, who will divide his commitments between the French team and Rodin Motorsport, the team with which he will compete in his second consecutive season in F2.
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The past at McLaren
Dunne will thus be part of the French manufacturer’s young driver program, joining two Italians like Nicola Lacorte and Gabriele Minì. Winner of the British F4 in 2022, the Irishman had been included in the McLaren Young Driver Programme in 2024, achieving surprising results in the two FP1 sessions in which he took part in Austria and Monza the following year. However, for reasons never clarified, the relationship with the Woking team ended abruptly last October.
First statements
Winner of two races and on the podium on six other occasions last season, Dunne commented on his move to Alpine: “I am really happy to join the Alpine Academy and take this further step in my racing career. I am very grateful for the trust the team has placed in me, which will allow me to represent the team and the brand on the world stage in FIA Formula 2, which has proven to be the ideal context for young drivers to progress towards professional roles. Naturally, after a competitive 2025 season, the goal this year is to fight for the Drivers’ Championship. Last year was a fantastic experience on many fronts. I learned a lot, I gained a lot, I had to face some challenges along the way, but everything has made me a better driver, a better person, and my goal is to give my best for Alpine and give my best as an Alpine Academy driver. It would be fantastic to reward the team for the trust placed in me with wins and podiums and I am excited to work together with everyone in this next chapter of my career.”
Welcoming the new member of the Academy was Alpine’s Executive Advisor, Flavio Briatore: “We are delighted to welcome Alex to Alpine as a member of our Academy. His performances in FIA Formula 2 and also his free practice sessions in Formula 1 last year were impressive and he is clearly a young driver of great talent with pure and natural speed. We have a team of talented drivers in Formula 2 with Gabriele Mini and Kush Maini. No look forward to seeing them compete in FIA Formula 2 in 2026, where the goal is very clear: to win the Drivers’ Championship.”
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