Ireland's Dunne signs for Alpine's F1 academy

Irish Formula 2 driver Alex Dunne has joined Alpine's young driver programme for the 2026 season.

While a deal has not yet been announced, Dunne drove with an Alpine livery on his Rodin Motorsport car at F2's pre-season test in Barcelona and BBC Sport has learned a contract has been signed.

Dunne, who finished fifth in the F2 standings in his rookie season last year, does not have the Super Licence points to become an official reserve for the team's Formula 1 drivers, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto.

But the deal to join Alpine will allow the Enstone-based team to compare Dunne's potential to fellow junior drivers - the highly-rated Paul Aron and F2 contenders Kush Maini and Gabriele Mini.

Dunne, 20, began 2025 contracted to McLaren and an impressive start to the season in F2 led to an opportunity of private tests and a chance to drive in an F1 practice session.

He impressed in Austria as he set the fourth-fastest time, just 0.069 seconds off championship challenger Oscar Piastri, as he became the first Irish driver to participate in an F1 weekend in 22 years.

Another F1 outing followed in Monza, but the pair announced a shock split after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September. Dunne was released after the two parties failed to agree on a way forward together.

He had been linked to Red Bull and a deal was agreed with head of the junior programme Helmut Marko.

However, the contract was cancelled after it emerged Marko, who would leave the team at the end of the season, had not consulted with the Red Bull hierarchy before signing Dunne and the Irish driver received a payout for the split.

Reports around talks over a role in Alpine's junior programme cooled over Christmas due to his lack of a Super Licence, but Dunne appeared for the first F2 test on Tuesday with an Alpine livery on his Rodin Motorsport car, and a deal is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Drivers build FIA Super Licence points on their way up the motorsport ladder through their finishes in championship standings and mileage in a F1 car in practice sessions.

Dunne needed to finish in third place in F2 last season to reach the 40-point threshold to qualify for a full F1 licence, but he could only finish in fifth after a disappointing end to the year.

Junior drivers in F1 often carry out simulator and development work for teams and the more experienced, like Dunne, can not only drive in private tests, but also in opening practice sessions on Grand Prix weekends.

F1 teams are obliged to offer young drivers four practice sessions - two for each car - throughout the season, and Aron and Japan's Ryo Hirakawa fulfilled those duties for Alpine last year.

The F2 season begins alongside the F1 calendar in Melbourne from 6-8 March.