Dunne said on social media that he was "very excited for what's to come", with an 'eye' emoji. "From today I've mutually decided to part ways with the McLaren driver development programme," he said on Thursday. By driving at the Austrian Grand Prix, Dunne became the first Irish driver to participate in a F1 weekend in 22 years. Dunne, who joined the team as development driver in May 2024, also took part in first practice at the Italian Grand Prix in September. McLaren said in a statement: "It has been a pleasure to work with Alex over the last year and to contribute to his growth as a driver.