Daly: Dunne Has 'X-Factor' to End Ireland's F1 Drought

Derek Daly, the only Irish-born driver to score points in Formula 1, is backing Alpine junior Alex Dunne as Ireland's next great hope. Daly says Dunne possesses a rare "X-Factor" and the aggressive racecraft needed to break the country's long F1 drought.

Why it matters:

Ireland has produced just five grand prix entrants and only four race starters, leaving Daly as the island's sole points scorer. Dunne's rise represents the first genuine chance in decades for Ireland to return to the grid, and Daly sees national pride building around him much like it has for Oscar Piastri in Australia.

The details:

• Dunne sits seventh in the 2026 Formula 2 standings, having stepped up from F3 in 2025 with sprint podiums in Australia and Miami plus a feature podium in Canada. He also qualified on the front row in Monaco.
• The Alpine junior previously raced under McLaren's development program and made two F1 FP1 appearances before joining Alpine for 2026.
• Daly first met Dunne at age 12 at Mondello Park and later discovered he had raced against Dunne's grandfather in stock cars.
• The X-Factor: Daly compared Dunne's braking-zone overtakes to Daniel Ricciardo, while noting modern F1 has largely eliminated such opportunities.
• Irish fans have visibly shifted allegiance from McLaren papaya to Alpine blue to back Dunne.

What's next:

Dunne must continue converting raw pace into consistent F2 results to earn an F1 seat, but Daly insists the talent is clear. If he makes it, Daly believes the impact would transcend the track, giving Irish fans their first homegrown hero since Daly raced from 1978 to 1982.