'Alpine could fight Red Bull over McLaren talent'

Alex Dunne, according to reports by Japanese website 'Autosport Web' will be undergoing a TCP testing programme with Alpine, in the French team's A524, their 2024 car, in a bid to find Pierre Gasly a new teammate.

However executive advisor to Alpine Flavio Briatore now seems reluctant to put a rookie in the car, following the unsatisfactory performances of Jack Doohan and Franco Colapinto. The Italian believes the pressure will more easily break a rookie than it will a veteran, the outlet states.

On the other hand, McLaren CEO Zak Brown would be happy to send the Irishman off for 1 or 2 years, and not see what happened with Gabriel Bortoleto, now at Sauber, repeated, the medium reports.

The American would instead like to have Dunne back by 2027, when Lando Norris' contract, the japanese website believes, will come to an end.

Dunne saw his chances at the F2 Drivers' title take a heavy blow after he was taken out of the feature race at Monza by Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad.

Nevertheless, the Irishman has been nothing short of impressive, as the attentions from Formula 1 have proven.

During FP1 at the Austrian Grand Prix, Dunne was able to place himself ever so close behind Oscar Piastri, current championship leader, and McLaren teammate for the session. However, recently in Italy during his second FP1 outing for the team, Dunne could only climb as high as P16.

Indeed, GPblog learned in Italy from various well-informed sources that McLaren junior Dunne was on Red Bull's radar.