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Alex Dunne Considering F1 Move in 2026
David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Well, well, well. Look who’s making waves in the motorsport world. Alex Dunne, the 19-year-old Irish sensation who’s got Formula 1 teams scrambling like it’s Black Friday at a tire shop. But let’s be honest here, shall we? When you’re climbing through the junior formulae faster than Max Verstappen through the field at Interlagos, people tend to notice.

The Cadillac Connection: Alex Dunne’s Potential F1 Break

Reports suggest that Alex Dunne is being seriously considered for Cadillac’s F1 debut in 2026. Yes, you read that right, the same Cadillac that’s been promising to shake up Formula 1 like a caffeinated Red Bull strategist. GP Blog reported that while Felipe Drugovich might be the frontrunner, Alex Dunne and Luke Browning are also on the shortlist. The penalties are a concern, but they might actually show character. At least he’s aggressive enough to earn them, unlike some drivers who play it safer than a Sunday drive with your grandmother.

Alex Dunne’s F2 Rollercoaster: Victories and Setbacks

Let’s talk about Dunne’s Formula 2 campaign, shall we? The man has been on more ups and downs than a Formula 1 car’s suspension at Monaco. He has won feature races at Bahrain and Imola, demonstrating his ability to handle pressure when it counts. But then came the disqualifications.

Austria saw him stripped of second place for excessive plank wear. Spa? A procedural transgression that cost him a convincing feature race victory. Those two disqualifications alone cost Alex Dunne 43 points, which is an insane amount. But you know what? Sometimes motorsport is about learning from your mistakes, and Alex Dunne seems to be doing precisely that.

Why Teams Are Fighting Over Alex Dunne

Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok hit the nail on the head when he suggested McLaren should “farm out” Alex Dunne to get experience elsewhere. It’s a smart move because the kid needs seat time, and with Piastri and Norris locked into McLaren contracts more extended than a DRS train at Monza, opportunities at Woking are limited. The Irish driver has shown remarkable adaptability, excelling in both wet and dry conditions. His first wet-race “victory” at Spa, before that pesky penalty, demonstrated the kind of versatility that separates the good drivers from the great ones.

The Business Side: Why Alex Dunne Makes Sense

Dunne represents the future and the present of F1 racing. He’s young, talented, and represents a nation that’s passionate about motorsport. Along with being Irish, he will help attract a market towards the product, and that could help anyone willing to invest in him. That kind of genuine emotion resonates with fans in a sport that sometimes feels overly corporate and sanitized.

Final Thoughts: The Alex Dunne Gamble

Dunne is precisely the kind of calculated risk that can either pay off spectacularly or backfire magnificently. He’s got the speed, the determination, and most importantly, the hunger that you can’t teach. Will he be ready for F1 in 2026? Maybe. Will he eventually reach the grid? The smart money says yes. Will he be successful once he gets there? Well, that’s the million-dollar question that only time and a whole lot of racing will answer.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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