Offaly's Alex Dunne joins Alpine's Young Driver Programme for the 2026 season

Offaly racing sensation Alex Dunne has joined Alpine's Young Driver Programme ahead of the 2026 season. 

While the deal is yet to be officially announced, Dunne recently drove with an Alpine livery on his Rodin Motorsport car at F2's pre-season test in Barcelona.

The Clonbullogue native made a huge impression on the racing world last year as he finished fifth in the Formula 2 standings in his rookie season which included wins in Imola and Bahrain as well as a further six podium places. 

Dunne began 2025 contracted to McLaren. An impressive start to the F2 season led to an opportunity for private tests and a chance to drive in an F1 practice session.

This allowed him to illustrate his potential on the F1 stage as he set the fourth-fastest time in Austria, just 0.069 seconds off championship challenger Oscar Piastri.

The Offaly man made history in the process, becoming the first Irish driver to participate in an F1 weekend in 22 years.

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Another F1 outing followed in Monza but Dunne and McLaren announced a shock split after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September.

This led to Dunne being released after the two parties failed to agree on a way forward together.

After months of speculation and reported interest from several teams, including Red Bull, Dunne will now be contracted to Alpine for the upcoming Formula 2 season.

Although the move to Alpine may provide a clearer pathway to Formula 1, Dunne currently does not have the Super Licence points to become an official reserve for Alpine's F1 drivers, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto. 

Joining Alpine will allow the team to assess Dunne’s potential and compare him to their other junior drivers whilst also giving him the opportunity to accumulate the points needed for his Super Licence.

The move could prove to be a crucial step in Dunne's development if he is to achieve his dream of earning a coveted seat in Formula 1.