Franco Colapint arrives in Monza, why won’t be in the first free batch?
The Argentine pilot will play this weekend the GP of Italy in the circuit in which he debuted in F1 with Williams in 2024. His task will begin later, because he will leave his car to Paul Aron for the FP1.
Monza will be, forever, a special place for Franco Colapinto. It was there that he began his excursion as Formula 1 pilot in 2024, when Williams designated him as replacement for Logan Sargeant until the end of the year. This Sunday, when the traffic light and begins the 16th date of exercise 2025, 371 days of that first race of the Argentine in the World Cup, which cut with 23 years without representatives of his country in the grid of the highest category, will have passed. In the middle many things happened, such as the move to Alpine at the beginning of the year, the wait as a reserve and the jump to ownership from the GP of Emilia-Romagna. Italy’s GP arrives at the best time for Buenos Aires: it comes from its best career with Estone Team, being 11 and brushing points in Netherlands.
Of course, lA Colapinto activity in Monza will begin later. It is that the team decided to give its seat to Reserve Paul Aron for the first batch of training from Friday morning to comply with the regulations that force the teams to deliver each car for twice each car for rookie drivers. Alte pilot that will use. ”
The Estone team already played two FP1 in 2025 with pilots less than two races with the car that Collapinto drives today. The first was in Australia with Jack Doohan, who was a holder in Melbourne, but arrived with just a previously played GP (Abu Dhabi 2024). Therefore, the Australian could have complied with the regulations as he did, for example, Gabriel Bortoleto in Sauber. In the two initial dates of the 2025 agenda, the Brazilian car has already complied with the regulations (the same Isak Hadjar and Kimi Antonelli). Alpine’s second occasion was in the Japan GP, where Rio Hirakawa turned in the FP1 replacing Doohan. There, there could be the debt. However, As Alpine confirmed to AM850.com, they had decided not to declare before the FIA the first session of Australia with Doohan to maintain the equity of both pilots when having to give their seats. Therefore, the car that Colapinto drives today still had an FP1 session for a rookie and finish complying with article 32.4 Section C. In the case of the car that runs Pierre Gasly, you must still comply with the two assignments, which the team will report in a timely manner.
As AM850.com could know, the two Team pilots got involved in the discussion about which races they preferred to give their armchair and Colapinto chose Monzaa track that you already know well. In addition, the FIA declaration on Aron’s participation in Franco in Italy was made before the GP of the Netherlands. That is, it is not about an invoice pass for the Argentine after his statements against Gasly and the way of managing the Dutch race.
It is worth remembering that Colapinto was 11 in Zandvoort and was very close to adding for the first time in the year. With new soft tires for the last handful of turns, the Argentine met on track with his Gasly, who did not give the position immediately and waited until the first curve, the place that the team had determined in the previous one to give positions between colleagues. Could the French have given way before? Yes, but he chose to wait until the agreed sector. That delayed Franco, who had no chance to attack Esteban Ocon. Then, the Argentine’s statements would arrive.
In the previous one of Monza, Alpine published collapint statements in a lower tone: “It was a pleasure to ensure my best result of the season with the 11th place for the team in Zandvoort. Many things happened throughout the race that put us in the fight for the points, so we must recognize the merit of all for how we manage the different situations. Being so close to scoring and staying at the doors was, on the one hand, quite satisfactory, since it demonstrates our progress, but also a bit disappointing, since in the end we were very close. We learned a lot during the weekend, something that we can take to close European rounds and reach the final stretch of the season. ”
Regarding Italy’s GP, the Argentine said: “I debuted in Formula 1 in Monza last year, so I really want to return, this time with more experience. I spent time trying with the team in Monza earlier this year and it is a circuit that I like. With its high speed and its long straight, the circuit is one of the favorites of the grid and it is a historical circuit. and start the weekend. ”
