Alex Dunne in advanced talks with Alpine over F1 role in 2026

Alex Dunne is in advanced talks with the Alpine F1 team about a 2026 role, with the Irishman understood to be in contention for a reserve driver position.

The Formula 2 star is closing in on a role with the Alpine team after talks with Red Bull came to an impasse following months of discussions.

Alex Dunne in talks for Alpine role in F1 2026

Having emerged as a breakout star in Formula 2 this season, Dunne could dovetail a second season in the category with an F1 reserve and test/development role with the Alpine squad.

Dunne is understood to have engaged in lengthy negotiations with Renault executive advisor Flavio Briatore in recent weeks, with discussions understood to be advanced to the point of being on the verge of contract completion.

The 20-year-old is yet to secure the necessary points for the mandatory full FIA Super Licence drivers need to compete in F1 (he already has a ‘Friday’ Super Licence), having needed to finish in the top three of the F2 championship to secure the points necessary.

Sources have suggested that, had Dunne already secured his Super Licence, he would have entered the discussion for a race seat outright at Alpine in 2026 and that the uncertainty of this situation, described as “hanging around Dunne’s neck” has already resulted in missed opportunities elsewhere on the grid.

Dunne could have secured a top-three finish in the championship in the season finale in Abu Dhabi, but fortune wasn’t on his side as he retired due to a collision in the feature race.

Alpine is said to have been keeping a close watching brief, and that securing his Super Licence would have considerably eased the process of signing with the team.

However, it’s understood that the Super Licence situation is not a deal-breaker for Alpine.

There’s also the possibility that Dunne’s form in F2 in 2025, together with his competitive FP1 outings with McLaren in F1, could be considered under the FIA’s regulations for dispensation, with demonstrable ability one of the criteria that the governing body can take into account.

Regardless of this, Dunne has been confirmed as continuing in Formula 2 with the Rodin Motorsport squad for 2026.

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If talks between Alpine and Dunne conclude favourably for the Irishman, and once his Super Licence is earned, it’s been suggested that the Irish driver could be a contender to jump into a race seat during the F1 2026 season should one of its drivers fail to reach expectations.

While Pierre Gasly is a known quantity in the midfield, regularly scoring points and getting the most from his machinery following years of experience, Franco Colapinto has struggled more to adjust to life in F1 after making his debut in mid-2024.

While he has secured a contract for 2026, a continuation of his struggles into the new regulation cycle could leave the Argentine vulnerable to other drivers on the Alpine roster.

While Alpine is also expected to continue with Paul Aron in his role as a reserve driver, Jack Doohan appears set to depart the Briatore-led team in order to pursue new opportunities.

It’s understood that Doohan will take part in a Super Formula test in Japan, with Toyota backing, this week, ahead of a possible switch to the category for 2026.

This would open up the possibility of a future reserve driver role with the Haas team, which enjoys a strengthening technical and title partnership with Toyota Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s motorsport division.

Doohan’s departure would thus open doors for another young driver at Alpine, and Dunne is believed to be on the verge of putting pen to paper with the Enstone-based squad, although confirmation of this, if a deal is struck, is not likely to be made for several weeks.

It’s believed that Dunne had been in advanced discussions with Red Bull’s Helmut Marko, with the Austrian keen on securing his signature following the F2 driver’s split from McLaren as paddock whispers suggest Dunne’s evaluations with Red Bull impressed senior management.

However, unilateral decision-making from Marko regarding the Red Bull junior programme is said to have irked senior management, with Dunne caught in the middle of internal politicking.

Having been part of McLaren’s Driver Development Programme through his year in F3 in 2024, Dunne’s rise into Formula 2 this year saw him score his first win in the category in Bahrain.

He has since become a consistent frontrunner and was a serious contender for the title for most of the season, with his challenge compromised by team operational errors and driver incidents.

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