Ireland’s Alex Dunne, currently third in the Formula 2 series, has turned his eyes to the United States.
On Monday, the Offaly driver had an IndyCar test in Alabama for Dale Coyne Racing at the Barber Motorsports Park.
Dunne is presently an Alpine junior driver and is in a three-way fight for the Formula 2 title, currently 18 points behind Rafael Camara with two more rounds to come in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
The Brazilian, whose move to Formula One with Haas was confirmed last week, is seven points clear of the Bulgarian Red Bull prospect Nikola Tsolov, with Dunne sitting in third.
Both grand prix in Qatar and Abu Dhabi have been the subject of speculation since the start of the US-Iran war, although the official line is that they remain on the calendar as scheduled unless events force a change.
Dunne will not want to race in Formula 2 again having spent two seasons in the class, and with seats in F1 now looking limited for next year, the 20-year-old has seemingly turned his attention to the US IndyCar series, their equivalent of F1.
Dunne posted the fastest time in the morning session, which also included the American-born Conor Daly, who is the son of Irish former Formula 1 driver Derek Daly, the last driver born in the Republic of Ireland to race at the sharp end of F1, for Williams in 1982.
The younger Daly, who, like his father, has raced in IndyCar previously. The 34-year-old will be making a return in 2027 driving for the Dreyer & Reinbold outfit.
However, Dale Coyne Racing have not announced their driver plans for 2027, and American teenager Nikita Johnston who is currently racing in the support Indy NXT class, tested for the team alongside Dunne on Monday.
Speaking to RACER after his stint, Dunne said: “The car, the track, everything. I loved it all.
“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.”
There have been a number of Irish drivers who have completed in the IndyCar series, whose highlight race is the Indianapolis 500.
These include Daly and Joe Kelly, the latter racing in the 1950s, while Naas man Michael Roe raced in IndyCar in 1985 with Hemelgarn Racing, making four starts and recording a best finish of seventh at Portland.
His nephew James Roe is currently racing in the Indy NXT series and, like Dunne, has also tested for a potential move to IndyCar.
“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,” said Dunne.
“(But) 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.”