Alpine Academy driver Gabriele Minì will make his Formula One Free Practice 1 debut at the Mexico City Grand Prix, taking over Franco Colapinto’s A526 for Friday’s opening session. The outing fulfils a mandatory rookie running requirement, and it comes as BWT Alpine heads to the high-altitude Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for the second leg of the Americas triple-header.
A first official F1 session for Minì
Gabriele Minì, who is currently racing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, will drive in an official Formula One session for the first time on Friday in Mexico City. He will take Franco Colapinto’s car for Free Practice 1 as part of the mandatory rookie outing requirements.
Minì joined the Alpine Academy in 2023, at the start of his first FIA Formula 3 season, and has since moved up to contend for the Formula 2 title. With four races left, he is fourth in the standings, with two wins and seven further podiums.
This will not be his first time in a Formula One car. This season he has regularly driven last year’s A525 in the team’s Testing Previous Cars (TPC) programme. He has also been preparing on the simulator at the team’s base in Enstone.
“I’m looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the A526 and taking part in my first ever Free Practice 1 in Formula One.” — Gabriele Minì
Minì says his aim is to do the best job he can and give the team useful data and feedback to help prepare the weekend for its race drivers.
Thin air changes the set-up puzzle
The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez sits more than 2,200 metres (over 7,200 ft) above sea level. The thinner air reduces both downforce and drag, which has an unusual effect on how sensitive Formula One cars are aerodynamically. According to the team, squads have traditionally run high-downforce packages here despite the 1.2 km (0.75-mile) main straight. Lower air resistance still means some of the highest top speeds of the year.
Pierre Gasly expects the altitude to test both the chassis and the power unit: “The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is very different to COTA and presents its own challenges, particularly with the high altitude, where the thin air always has an interesting effect on the car and the power unit.”
Mixed fortunes in Austin
Alpine arrives from the United States Grand Prix with mixed results. Gasly finished tenth despite damage from an early incident involving Oliver Bearman. That result took him to 500 career points in Formula One. With five races remaining, he says the team is targeting another top-ten finish in Mexico.
Colapinto retired for the second race in a row after his car was damaged in an incident with Arvid Lindblad. He had started from the back on the Hard tyres.
“It was a real pity to retire for the second race in a row in Austin after the car picked up damage from the incident with Arvid [Lindblad].” — Franco Colapinto
The Argentine will take over his car from Minì for the Friday afternoon running.
An anniversary for Enstone
This race also marks 40 years since the Enstone-based team’s first Formula One win, when it raced as Benetton. At the 1986 event, Gerhard Berger won on the old Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez layout without a pit stop, running very durable Pirelli tyres. It was the first Grand Prix win for both the team and Berger.
By the numbers
- At least one Alpine has started in the top ten at each of the last six Grands Prix, the team’s best run of the season. That run includes Gasly’s pole position at the Italian Grand Prix.
- Colapinto has completed exactly 1,000 Grand Prix laps this season. Gasly has completed 1,002.
- Gasly reached 500 career Formula One points with his tenth place in Austin.
Minì’s Free Practice 1 run opens the Mexico City Grand Prix weekend on Friday.
Source: media.alpinecars.com