Alpine will hand longstanding academy member and F2 charger Gabriele Mini his maiden FP1 outing in Mexico City this week, with the young Italian replacing Franco Colapinto in Friday’s opening session.
It’s a significant milestone for the 21-year-old, who has spent several seasons working his way through Alpine’s junior ranks and will now get the chance to demonstrate his abilities in an official F1 session at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
Mini joined the Alpine Academy at the start of 2023 after finishing runner-up in the Formula Regional European Championship. He subsequently finished second in Formula 3 and has continued to build his experience in Formula 2, where he currently sits fourth in the championship after previously leading the standings.
With only the final two rounds remaining, his hopes of securing the F2 title are slim. But Mexico offers a different opportunity: a chance to make an impression on the team that has supported his development.
From academy prospect to the F1 cockpit
Mini has already gained valuable mileage in older F1 machinery through Alpine’s Testing of Previous Cars programme. Friday’s session, however, will bring a new challenge as he gets to grips with the current-generation A526, whose characteristics differ substantially from those of the cars used in his previous outings.
The Italian is approaching the opportunity with a clear focus on making the most of it, both for his own development and for Alpine’s preparations for the weekend.
“I'm looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the A526 and taking part in my first ever Free Practice 1 in Formula 1,” he said.
“Having been part of the Alpine Academy for several years and progressing through the junior ranks, competing in an official Formula 1 session is going to be a really special moment for me.
“Thank you to Flavio [Briatore, team boss], Steve [Nielsen, managing director] and everyone at the team for their trust and for the opportunity.
“I've been doing a lot of preparation back at base in Enstone, spending time on the simulator and working closely with the engineers to make sure I'm as ready as possible and able to put my best foot forward both personally and for the team.
“My goal is to do the best possible job on track and help provide valuable data and feedback to the team to hopefully set up a successful weekend, where both Pierre [Gasly] and Franco aim to score points by the end of it.”
A busy weekend for F1’s next generation
Mini’s appearance is part of the sport’s obligations to give young drivers meaningful opportunities during Grand Prix weekends. Teams must provide four rookie practice outings per car across the season, meaning Mexico and the following round in Brazil will feature several changes to the usual Friday line-ups.
For Alpine, Mini’s run will be its third rookie outing of the campaign, following reserve driver Paul Aron’s appearances in Hungary and Italy.
McLaren will bring back Leonardo Fornaroli, who previously drove for the team in Barcelona and Budapest. The Italian will replace Lando Norris in Mexico before stepping in for Oscar Piastri in São Paulo.
Leonardo Fornaroli
Mercedes reserve Frederik Vesti will also be in action in Mexico, taking George Russell’s place for the opening session.
Finally, Williams reserve Luke Browning is set for a busy double-header, taking the wheel in Mexico and Brazil for his eighth and ninth FP1 appearances, replacing Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz respectively.
For Mini, though, the spotlight will be firmly on his own opportunity: a first official F1 appearance with Alpine, and a chance to turn years of academy work into a meaningful step towards the sport’s top level.
Read also: Fornaroli handed McLaren F1 and WEC duties for 2027
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