Karun Chandhok tells McLaren to loan Alex Dunne to this F1 team in 2026 after sparkling Austrian Grand Prix debut

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Alex Dunne was arguably the standout driver in the opening practice session at the Austrian Grand Prix. Dunne was competing in a Formula 1 weekend for the first time in his career.

Stepping in for Lando Norris, he sensationally set the fourth-fastest time. His 1:05.766 was within a tenth of what championship leader Oscar Piastri managed.

Of course, there are caveats. Dunne’s fuel levels and engine modes aren’t known, and this is the shortest lap of the year, which means gaps are naturally tighter.

But it’s still extremely rare to see a rookie this high up in a practice session. And it will only add to the hype around the McLaren junior, who currently leads the Formula 2 championship.

Karun Chandhok tells McLaren to loan Alex Dunne to Cadillac

Speaking on Sky Sports after the session, Karun Chandhok said he’d already seen enough to back Dunne for a 2026 F1 seat. Of course, a promotion to McLaren is out of the question.

The Woking outfit feel they have the best driver line-up on the grid, and both Norris and Piastri have signed long-term extensions in the last 18 months. A loan move could make sense, allowing him to gain experience at the highest level in the event that a vacancy eventually comes up.

The standout option would be Cadillac. The American newcomers are believed to want an experienced driver, but could put a youngster in the second seat.

Cadillac have been strongly linked with Felipe Drugovich, the former F2 champion and Aston Martin reserve driver. But Dunne may now have exploded onto their radar.

“If I was McLaren now, I’d be trying to do a deal with Cadillac or someone like that,” Chandhok said. “Just based on everything he’s showing. He’s the leader of the F2 championship. They’ve seen potential in testing. We’re seeing it publicly today.

“You want to find him a seat somewhere to build up some racing experience. I’d be trying to get him a deal somewhere else for a period of time and just farm him out. Have him on some sort of a tether that they can pull back in the way that Mercedes have done in the past with George Russell [at Williams].”

McLaren have already lost one of their best young talents

McLaren had a similar issue with Gabriel Bortoleto last year. Bortoleto won the F2 and F3 titles in back-to-back years, but there was no space for him in Andrea Stella’s team.

Thus, they allowed him to join Sauber, who will become Audi next year. Bortoleto has already shown glimpses of his potential while flying largely under the radar.

F1 veteran Nico Hulkenberg has been highly impressed by Bortoleto this season. McLaren shouldn’t let back-to-back F2 gems go, but it could all depend on whether a manufacturer like Cadillac are willing to do the kind of deal Chandhok proposes.

Franco Colapinto joined Alpine on a long-term loan earlier this year, with his ties to Williams still intact.