Red Bull F1 team tipped for shock swoop for McLaren driver

Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Red Bull tipped for shock swoop for McLaren driver

Red Bull have struggled to find Max Verstappen a team-mate

Chris Deeley

Sunday 28 September 2025 17:56

Red Bull's F1 driver lineup past Max Verstappen has been in flux for some time, with new reports suggesting that the situation is unlikely to calm down soon.

A series of drivers have struggled alongside the Dutchman and, once Sergio Perez's form fell off a cliff starting in the second half of 2023, Red Bull and junior team Racing Bulls have had rotating casts behind the wheel.

Verstappen has had Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda as team-mates so far this year, with Lawson and rookie Isack Hadjar now driving for Racing Bulls, but despite the chopping and changing (or perhaps because of it), the reigning champion has scored all but 17 of the team's 272 points through 17 race weekends this season.

Article continues under video

Reinforcements could be arriving from F2 sooner rather than later though, with a McLaren driver reportedly catching the eye of infamous talent evaluator Helmut Marko.

Marko hints at Dunne interest

Marko's eye has reportedly landed on young Irish speedster Alex Dunne, who currently sits fifth in the F2 drivers' championship behind the likes of Leonardo Fornaroli and Luke Browning.

Dunne has won two feature races so far this year, but has also caught the eye for the penalties he's received from race stewards throughout the season.

The youngster lost a win at Spa for a starting procedure violation, and has also been dinged by the stewards on multiple occasions for collisions with Victor Martins.

PlanetF1 report that Marko has begun to 'establish a relationship' with Dunne and his representatives with a view for a potential 2026 swoop and, when asked by the website about the Irishman, Marko said Red Bull are "always interested in fast and confident drivers, and Dunne is a fast and confident driver."

GPFans have contacted Red Bull for comment on the rumours.

F1 HEADLINES: Hamilton issues future update as British star forced to retire