Alex Dunne completes Dale Coyne IndyCar test as 2027 plans remain open

Alex Dunne completed an IndyCar test with Dale Coyne Racing at Barber Motorsports Park on Monday. BBC Sport reported that the Irishman topped the morning session, while American teenager Nikita Johnson also tested for Coyne.

The 20-year-old Alpine junior remains involved in a three-way Formula 2 championship contest. He has recorded one victory and nine podium finishes during his second season and trails leader Rafael Camara by 18 points. Two rounds remain, in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Dunne described a positive first experience, telling RACER, in comments carried by the BBC, that he quickly felt comfortable despite the additional power and downforce. He said Formula 1 remained his ambition, but IndyCar had long been the alternative he most wanted to pursue.

Coyne's recruitment situation changed when Dennis Hauger opted to join AJ Foyt Racing. In September, RACER reported that the team owner had intended to promote Hauger to his lead car and pair him with newly crowned Indy NXT champion Johnson. Neither driver had signed those planned contracts, and Hauger's departure left Coyne reconsidering his line-up.

At that stage, Coyne told RACER he had a shortlist of about four drivers and still needed to fill both the No. 18 and No. 19 Hondas for 2027. His earlier proposed pairing therefore did not amount to a confirmed arrangement for the following season.

The Illinois-based outfit has an established record of developing drivers. IndyCar's official team profile traces its beginnings to 1984 and identifies Alex Palou among the talents it has supported. Justin Wilson delivered its first victory at Watkins Glen in 2009, while its 2026 programme paired Romain Grosjean with rookie Hauger through a technical partnership with Andretti Global. Wilson also won at Texas in 2012, and Mike Conway added another victory at Belle Isle the following year.

BBC Sport reported that Coyne had not announced its 2027 drivers. Dunne's test therefore leaves his next move unresolved; winning the Formula 2 title would rule out returning to that championship next year.