Affirmation of the change appears prone to come quickly, although sources insist a deal just isn’t but accomplished.
Alex Dunne seen driving a pink-liveried F2 automobile in pre-season testing on Tuesday (Picture: Getty)
Former McLaren junior Alex Dunne seems set to signal for rivals Alpine after the Irishman was noticed driving a automobile bearing the staff’s eye-catching pink colors. Dunne is participating in pre-season testing this week forward of the brand new Components 2 marketing campaign, which is going down on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya whereas Components 1 has pitched up in Bahrain.
And pictures from the on-track motion in Spain have proven Dunne behind the wheel of an all-pink Rodin Motorsport automobile bearing the emblem of Alpine’s title sponsor BWT. It’s understood, nevertheless, {that a} deal for the 20-year-old to hitch Alpine’s driver growth programme has but to be finalised.
A spokesperson confirmed that Dunne is testing in Alpine colors this week, however added there may be “nothing official” to announce relating to his affiliation with “discussions ongoing”. Sources counsel, although, that the Irishman is near finalising a transfer to the Enstone-based outfit following his McLaren departure final yr and the next collapse of his change to Pink Bull.
McLaren very abruptly confirmed final October that Dunne, who was on the time in rivalry for the F2 title in his debut season within the class, had left their programme. No official motive was given, although it was reported that Dunne was weighing up a change to Pink Bull having been courted by Helmut Marko.
However whereas a Pink Bull transfer regarded inevitable following his McLaren exit, Marko’s departure on the finish of the yr appeared to scupper Dunne’s probabilities of becoming a member of their academy. It was claimed that Marko had already provided a contract to Dunne, which was signed, however with out the consent of Pink Bull’s Austria-based management – forcing the staff to pay the Irishman a six-figure sum in compensation for backing out of the deal.
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The very fact Alpine have gone to the difficulty of dictating that his Rodin Motorsport F2 automobile ought to carry their branding suggests the staff could be very assured that the deal will recover from the road. Ought to it accomplish that, Dunne will be a part of reserve driver Paul Aron and academy member Kush Maini throughout the Alpine setup.
Dunne can be focusing on the F2 title this yr, his problem having pale in 2025 when the crown was taken by Italy’s Leonardo Fornaroli. Dunne was seventh on the timesheets on the finish of the primary day of pre-season testing on Tuesday, with Mexico’s Noel Leon with Argentine Nicolas Varrone second and new Mercedes growth driver Joshua Duerksen of Paraguay in third.
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