Alex Dunne Explains Why He Left McLaren’s Junior Programme

Formula 1, Sportrik Media – Former McLaren F1 Team junior driver Alex Dunne has explained the reasons behind his surprise departure from the Woking-based outfit in 2025, insisting that the decision was entirely his own as part of a strategic push toward Formula 1.

Dunne joined McLaren’s driver development programme in May 2024 and quickly earned valuable F1 exposure, taking part in first practice sessions at the Austrian Grand Prix and the Italian Grand Prix at Autodromo Nazionale Monza. However, in October 2025, McLaren and Dunne confirmed that their partnership had come to an end, a split that was initially described as mutual.

With immediate effect, McLaren branding was removed from Dunne’s Formula 2 car, signalling the end of his formal ties with the papaya squad. Despite this, the Irish driver remained committed to his second F2 campaign, viewing it as a crucial stepping stone toward a future on the Formula 1 grid.

Speaking about the decision, Dunne revealed that it was made after evaluating all available career pathways. For him, remaining aligned with the most direct and realistic route to Formula 1 outweighed the prestige of staying within McLaren’s junior system if that path no longer offered clear progression.

He also admitted that the call was not universally supported within his inner circle, including his father, who initially questioned the move. Nevertheless, Dunne was convinced that stepping away from McLaren placed him in a stronger position to secure opportunities that could ultimately lead to a full-time Formula 1 seat.

Dunne’s departure highlights the increasingly strategic nature of junior driver careers in modern Formula 1, where affiliation with a major team must be weighed against the availability of tangible race opportunities. With the new Formula 2 season approaching, his on-track performances will now determine whether this calculated gamble delivers the outcome he is targeting — a place on the Formula 1 grid, a story closely followed by Sportrik Media at https://sportrik.com.