F1 Mexico: Minì, Browning and Herta run in FP1
The newsroomUpdated on October 28, 20263 minMexico City GP: Gabriele Minì (Alpine), Luke Browning (Williams) and Colton Herta (Cadillac) take over from the regular drivers in first practice.
Key point
In Mexico City (30 October – 1 November), Gabriele Minì, Luke Browning and Colton Herta replace Colapinto, Albon and Bottas respectively in first practice.
Three Formula 1 teams are handing the first practice session of the Mexico City Grand Prix (30 October – 1 November) to someone other than their regular driver. Alpine gives Gabriele Minì his debut, Williams fields Luke Browning and Cadillac recalls Colton Herta.
Alpine: Gabriele Minì replaces Franco Colapinto
The Italian, a member of the Alpine Academy since 2023, takes the wheel of the A526 in place of Franco Colapinto. It will be his first official F1 weekend session, and it meets one of Alpine's obligations: running a rookie driver. He has already driven the 2025 A525 in private testing and took part in several sessions with older cars, but never in a current-generation car in race-weekend conditions.
On the sporting side, Minì, F3 runner-up in 2024, is fourth in this year's F2 championship with MP Motorsport: two wins, seven other podiums and 44 points behind Rafa Camara. He must return the car in time for Colapinto's afternoon session.
Williams: Luke Browning, a double appointment
Williams' reserve driver takes Alex Albon's FW48 in Mexico City, then Carlos Sainz's car at the next race, in Brazil. These are the team's last rookie sessions this season: Williams chose to give all four to a single driver, an approach sporting director Sven Smeets presents as a way to link track data and simulator data more closely.
Browning has not yet driven the lightweight FW48, whose chassis was updated in Baku: his feedback will help compare the revised car with the simulator model. He also races in Super Formula in Japan, for Kondo Racing.
Cadillac: Colton Herta, fifth FP1
Colton Herta takes over Valtteri Bottas's car for Friday's FP1, his fifth appearance of this kind with the team. The session keeps his bid for an FIA super licence alive, even though public calculations of his points total differ. Mexico City's thin air reduces cooling and downforce and puts more demand on the power unit, making it a tough test. Herta will then hand the car back to Bottas.
Key points
- Alpine: Minì replaces Colapinto in the A526.
- Williams: Browning drives Albon's car in Mexico City, then Sainz's in Brazil.
- Cadillac: Herta stands in for Bottas for the session.
- The regular drivers get their cars back for the rest of the weekend.
Frequently asked questions
Who drives in FP1 instead of the regular drivers in Mexico City?
Gabriele Minì for Alpine (in place of Franco Colapinto), Luke Browning for Williams (Alex Albon's car) and Colton Herta for Cadillac (Valtteri Bottas's car).
Why do these sessions matter?
For Alpine and Williams, they meet the requirement to run a rookie driver. For Herta, they keep his bid for an FIA super licence alive.
Do the regular drivers get their cars back?
Yes. Albon is back in his car for the rest of the weekend, Herta hands his back to Bottas after the session, and Minì hands his back to Colapinto.
Sources
- Motorsport Week — Alpine hands junior talent an FP1 outing in Mexico
- GrandPrix.com — Minì gets Alpine FP1 debut in Mexico
- GrandPrix.com — Browning gets Williams FP1 runs in Mexico and Brazil
- GrandPrix.com — Herta gets fifth Cadillac FP1 run in Mexico
Written by the Karrazmotorsport newsroom, proofread before publication. For settings, always refer to your vehicle's manual. Our charter.
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