Irish teen Alex Dunne joins McLaren's driver development programme

Irish teenager Alex Dunne has taken another significant step towards fulfilling his Formula 1 dream after joining McLaren's driver development programme.

The 18-year-old Offaly native, currently racing for MP Motorsport in Formula 3, is a hugely exciting talent.

He won the 2022 British F4 Championship title with Hitech Grand Prix and finished as vice-champion in both the 2022 Italian F4 Championship and the 2023 GB3 Championship.

His form turned heads, leading to a drive with Hitech Pulse-Eight in the Macau Grand Prix last November. He qualified sixth on his street circuit debut before finishing second in the qualifying race.

This year, Dunne has picked up points in the first two rounds of the Formula 3 season in Bahrain and Australia. He next competes at Imola this weekend.

He can also look forward to joining McLaren's talent pipeline, which aims to help develop and improve drivers so they can progress towards Formula 1, IndyCar and Formula E.

"It's an honour to join the McLaren Driver Development programme and I’m looking forward to getting started with the team," said Dunne.

"McLaren provides the perfect environment for me to develop my skillset as I continue my journey in motorsport."