McLaren prospect Dunne linked with Red Bull future

Alex Dunne has emerged as a surprise name in the Monza paddock gossip, with suggestions Red Bull could target the McLaren junior for its future lineup.

The 19-year-old Irishman, racing in Formula 2 this year, made another FP1 outing for McLaren at Monza, underlining his growing reputation, but with Yuki Tsunoda under pressure and Isack Hadjar tipped for promotion to the senior Red Bull team in 2026, insiders believe Dunne could be in the frame for Racing Bulls, particularly if Liam Lawson is dropped.

Helmut Marko did not dismiss the speculation when quizzed in the paddock. Still, team principal Laurent Mekies insists Tsunoda will at least see out the current campaign.

“I think the short answer is yes,” he said when asked directly about the Japanese driver’s seat being safe through to the season finale this year. “We made it very clear that we have time with our driver decision.

"We don’t plan to change during the season. Yuki has been making a good step in the last three races. We all want more, but he’s doing a good job.”

Mekies said Red Bull has the luxury of patience when planning for '26. “Fundamentally we have all our cards on the Red Bull side, and we can take a few more weeks, or months, to decide,” said the Frenchman.

Marko, meanwhile, thinks the calmer post-Horner atmosphere is already bearing fruit. “There’s a completely different basis for discussion on the technical level, and that’s having a positive effect on the result,” he told Sky Deutschland. “Yuki also made it to tenth place in Q3. You can see the upward trend.”