After delivering his best race of the year in Formula 1, Franco Colapinto was enthusiastically preparing for the challenge in Monza. However, he will have to wait to get back in the A525, as Alpine confirmed that Paul Aron, the team's reserve driver, will take his place in the first free practice session of the Italian Grand Prix.
The decision is not related to the Argentine's performance, but rather to a regulatory obligation. The FIA requires each team to allocate at least four free practice sessions per season to a reserve driver, which forces both Colapinto and Pierre Gasly to give up their seat on two occasions.
In this context, the French team made the decision official on its social media: "Stepping up for FP1 at the Italian Grand Prix, Paul Aron will make his first appearance in the A525 next weekend as part of his reserve driver duties," they announced.
The 20-year-old Estonian will thus have his first official experience in F1, while Colapinto will return to the car starting from the second session in Monza. It is worth noting that Gasly had already fulfilled this requirement in Japan, when he gave up his seat to Ryō Hirakawa, now a Haas driver.
