Alpine's call on Colapinto's team-mate ahead of Abu Dhabi F1 GP | OneFootball

In the lead-up to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Alpine reorganized its work plan and defined a change in its lineup for the first practice of the last major Formula 1 event in 2025. Franco Colapinto will have an unusual teammate replacing Pierre Gasly in the team, which announced how it will distribute its test drivers both over the weekend and in Tuesday's trials.

The team confirmed that Paul Aron and Kush Maini will have defined turns both in the official activity and in the subsequent tests, with the goal of continuing the development of their talents. Both are part of the brand's test and reserve team and will travel to the United Arab Emirates with differentiated schedules.

The Estonian will get back in the car during the first practice on Friday, as a substitute for the Frenchman and on track with the Argentine driver. He had already participated in the FP1 sessions in Italy and Mexico and also accumulated mileage in a private session held in Monza. Additionally, he took part in free practice with Sauber in Silverstone and Budapest, which provided him with prior experience.

Aron arrives with recent experience in Yas Marina, where he debuted with a Formula 1 during the young driver test of the previous season. This background makes him a reliable option for the initial session that will open the last date of the calendar.

Meanwhile, Maini will fulfill his turn in the Tuesday trials aimed at emerging drivers, an instance that will mark his official debut with a car of the Maximum. The Indian representative, currently in DAMS Lucas Oil within Formula 2, had been participating in the Previous Cars Testing program and simulator tasks as a member of the Academy.

This year, the 25-year-old driver expanded his role within the structure to become one of the testers and reserves, which opened the door to this opportunity in Abu Dhabi. It will be his first real appearance at the helm of the single-seater in an official context.

The team director, Steve Nielsen, appreciated the chance to give their young drivers some track time: "The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend is an excellent opportunity to call on our test and reserve drivers and allow them such important seat time in a modern Formula 1 car. Both Paul and Kush have worked hard this season, especially during our simulator and TPC programs, to be prepared and ready for any opportunity in Formula 1."

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