Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Alpine junior driver Alex Dunne is in a three-way fight for the Formula 2 title
ByAndy GrayBBC Sport NI Journalist- Published23 minutes ago
Formula 2 title challenger Alex Dunne has completed an IndyCar test in Alabama as he contemplates a move to the USA in 2027.
Ireland's Dunne is an Alpine junior driver and is in a three-way fight for the title in Formula 2, which supports Formula 1 on Grand Prix weekends.
The 20-year-old has one win and nine podiums in his second F2 season and is 18 points behind F1-bound leader Rafael Camara - with two more rounds scheduled in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
But with seats in F1 limited for 2027, Dunne tested an IndyCar for Dale Coyne Racing at Barber Motorsports Park on Monday.
He has also been linked to a third season in F2 as he chases his Formula 1 dream, but if he wins the championship he cannot return to the series next year.
Dunne posted the fastest time in a morning session which included American-born Conor Daly, who is the son of Irish former Formula 1 driver Derek.
Dale Coyne Racing have not announced their driver plans for 2027, and American teenager Nikita Johnson tested alongside Dunne on Monday.
"The car, the track, everything. I loved it all," Dunne told American outlet RACER., external
"To be honest, the car was super cool. I think it's definitely got quite a bit more power, a lot more downforce than what I'm used to.
"To jump in and be comfortable pretty quickly, and I think I was quickest when I when I got out of the car in the morning, I really enjoyed it."
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IndyCar is the leading open-wheel racing series in the USA, and ex-Formula 1 drivers such as Mick Schumacher, Marcus Ericsson and Romain Grosjean all raced in the series last year.
The biggest IndyCar race is the Indianapolis 500, which takes place every May in front of more than 230,000 spectators and is considered one of motorsport's 'Triple Crown' events, alongside Formula 1's Monaco Grand Prix and the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race.
Britain's Louis Foster will drive for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing for the full 2027 campaign, while Katherine Legge and Jack Harvey both raced at the Indy 500 last year in one-off outings.
With the success of Spanish five-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou, the 2027 calendar will return to Europe with a round in Barcelona in July, and the rest of the season takes place on street courses, ovals and more traditional circuits in the USA and Canada.
Despite having only one morning testing in an IndyCar, Dunne said he "definitely likes what I've seen so far" and it was a series that had always interested him.
"I think naturally, with the path that I've been on and what I've worked towards, the goal will always be to be a Formula 1 driver," he said.
"I think there comes a time when, realistically, that chance becomes more difficult, and I've always said that the next best option for me and the thing I'd love to do most has always been IndyCar."
Portadown's Adam Carroll was the last driver from the island of Ireland to drive in IndyCar, when he competed in two races in 2010.
