Alpine announce F1 driver replacement ahead of Mexican GP

Alpine F1 team have announced a driver replacement for FP1 of this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix.

Despite Pierre Gasly having recently signed a new contract, Alpine's 2026 driver lineup is still not set, with doubts persisting over Franco Colapinto's position.

The young Argentine replaced Jack Doohan after six races of the 2025 season, but has not scored a single point since then.

Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen recently said that the decision regarding their remaining 2026 seat would be between Colapinto and rookie Paul Aron, who is currently serving as the team's reserve driver.

Now, the team will get the chance to try Aron out alongside Colapinto, with the Estonian set to get an opportunity on the grid at the Mexican GP, replacing Gasly for FP1.

This year's F1 rules state that each team have to field a rookie in each of their cars at least twice throughout the 2025 season. Alpine have fulfilled that quota in Doohan and Colapinto's seat, but have not yet filled it in Gasly's seat.

In an official statement confirming the news, Aron said: "I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the A525 for my latest Free Practice 1 session with the team.

"I enjoyed the experience in Monza a lot and found it incredibly useful for my own personal development as a driver and my understanding of the car.

"I’m ready to build on that this weekend in Mexico City in Pierre’s car. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is a very different track to any I have driven.

"It is high altitude which will make the handling of the car and the setup we choose very different to most other circuits and I’m looking forward to that challenge.

"I’m very grateful to the team for granting me this further opportunity and will do whatever is needed to help them set up a competitive weekend."

Who is Paul Aron?

Aron currently undertakes work as Alpine’s test and reserve driver, helping the team back at the factory at Enstone, and is available to jump in the car should Gasly or Colapinto be unable to compete in a grand prix.

The 21-year-old earned himself a spot within Alpine’s reserve driver lineup after finishing third in the 2024 Formula 2 season, behind current F1 stars Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar.

Aron has actually competed alongside Bortoleto at Sauber this season, after he was loaned out by Alpine to help Sauber to fulfil their rookie driver quota for practice sessions.

In 2025, Aron has taken part in three FP1 sessions, at the British and Hungarian grands prix with Sauber, and at the Italian GP with Alpine, where he got behind the wheel of Colapinto's car.

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