Alex Dunne: Irish driver joins Alpine's junior programme
He had been linked to Red Bull and a deal was agreed with head of the junior programme Helmut Marko.However, the contract was cancelled after it emerged Marko, who would leave the team at the end of the season, had not consulted with the Red Bull hierarchy before signing Dunne and the Irish driver received a payout for the split.Reports around talks over a role in Alpine's junior programme cooled over Christmas due to his lack of a Super Licence, but Dunne appeared for the first F2 test on Tuesday with an Alpine livery on his Rodin Motorsport car, and a deal is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.Drivers build FIA Super Licence points on their way up the motorsport ladder through their finishes in championship standings and mileage in a F1 car in practice sessions.Dunne needed to finish in third place in F2 last season to reach the 40-point threshold to qualify for a full F1 licence, but he could only finish in fifth after a disappointing end to the year.Junior drivers in F1 often carry out simulator and development work for teams and the more experienced, like Dunne, can not only drive in private tests, but also in opening practice sessions on Grand Prix weekends.F1 teams are obliged to offer young drivers four practice sessions - two for each car - throughout the season, and Aron and Japan's Ryo Hirakawa fulfilled those duties for Alpine last year.The F2 season begins alongside the F1 calendar in Melbourne from 6-8 March.
