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Helmut Marko reportedly attempted to sign Alex Dunne without telling Red Bull's management, leading the Irish racer to terminate his development contract with McLaren, only for the Austrian's bosses to overrule the move.

Dunne caught the attention of teams in the paddock when he set some extremely competitive lap times during his maiden FP1 appearance for McLaren at the Austrian Grand Prix earlier this season. His aggressive driving style and raw speed attracted the interest of Marko.

According to a report from De Telegraaf, Marko approached Dunne about switching to the Red Bull junior team and convinced the Irishman to leave the McLaren young driver programme, but did so without informing those above him in the chain. Team bosses opposed the move, and the 20-year-old was left in the cold.

Dunne, who finished fifth in the Formula Two standings, 61 points behind champion Leonardo Fornaroli, is now reportedly in talks with Alpine, according to PlanetF1. With Jack Doohan expected to depart to pursue new opportunities in the Super Formula series, a spot in the team's young driver rotation will open up.

Alpine have retained Franco Colapinto for the 2026 campaign, but as Flavio Briatore demonstrated when he axed Doohan just six races into the season, he is not afraid to make changes, and Dunne would offer another strong alternative, alongside Paul Aron.

For now, though, Dunne looks ahead to a second season in F2 with Rodin Motorsport as he looks to clinch the series title and the required FIA super license points to make himself eligible for an F1 ride in 2027.

"I'm really happy to be staying with Rodin for the 2026 season," he said after the news was announced earlier this week. "I've built a great relationship with the whole team, and the way we work together is really positive. I'm confident that we will be fighting for the title next year."

As for Marko, the 82-year-old's departure from Red Bull was announced on Tuesday, bringing an end to an iconic career that spanned over two decades with the Milton Keynes squad.

"I have been involved in motorsport for six decades now, and the past 20-plus years at Red Bull have been an extraordinary and extremely successful journey," Marko said. "It has been a wonderful time that I have been able to help shape and share with so many talented people.

"Everything we have built and achieved together fills me with pride. Narrowly missing out on the world championship this season has moved me deeply and made it clear to me that now is the right moment for me personally to end this very long, intense, and successful chapter. I wish the entire team continued success and am convinced that they will be fighting for both World Championship titles again next year."