Franco Colapinto Loses FP1 Seat to Gabriele Mini in Mexico

Franco Colapinto will not participate in the first free practice session of the Mexico Grand Prix. Alpine has decided that Gabriele Mini, a young prospect for the French team, will take his seat in the A526 during FP1, a move that meets the regulatory obligation to field a rookie driver before the season ends. The team's social media announcement signals an unexpected change in the Argentine driver's preparation for the Mexican event.

"I am really looking forward to getting into the A526 and participating in my first Formula 1 free practice. After being part of the Alpine Academy for several years and progressing through the formative categories, competing in an official Formula 1 session will be a really special moment for me," Mini declared in a video published by the team. The Italian, who until now had seen Paul Aron serve as reserve driver and rookie in free practice sessions, will get his chance thanks to his strong performances in Formula 2.

Mini wanted to thank the trust placed in him: "I want to thank Flavio, Steve and all the team members for their trust. I have been preparing a lot at the Enstone factory, working in the simulator and alongside the engineers to make sure I arrive as well prepared as possible," he added. The young driver has clear what his objective will be in this session: "My intention is to do the best possible job on track and provide valuable data and information to the team to help prepare a successful weekend, in which both Pierre and Franco can finish scoring points".

For Colapinto, the Alpine decision represents a setback at a delicate moment. The Argentine arrives in Mexico after a complicated streak, with three retirements in the last four races, and needs to reverse his situation as soon as possible: "A lot of DNFs lately, from having none to three in four races, we have to cut this streak, it is being hard. We have to work for Mexico; luckily, it's coming up soon, and we are going to try to reverse this situation and reset quickly. Mexico is coming, and luckily, it was a hard week. Looking forward to Mexico coming and having a good result," the Argentine driver stated.

Although he couldn't participate in FP1, Colapinto will get in the car for the second free practice session, where he can work with the team to find the right setup ahead of qualifying and the race. The Mexico Grand Prix is held this weekend at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, and Alpine trusts that both Colapinto and Pierre Gasly can score points in an especially demanding event due to the altitude and high temperatures.

The decision to give Mini the seat in FP1 is one more step in training the academy's young talents, but also a reminder of the regulatory obligations teams must meet throughout the championship.