Paul Aron lands Monza FP1 run for Alpine in Gasly’s car
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 1, 2026
Aron at Monza
Alpine has given reserve driver Paul Aron another Formula One chance, this time in FP1 at Monza in place of Pierre Gasly. It is a straightforward move, but it carries real value for both sides. Aron gets seat time, and Alpine gets another look at a driver it has already trusted across multiple practice programs this year. The Monza run will be Aron’s fourth practice outing of the season and his second with Alpine, after he also took part in a session for the team in Hungary earlier in the year. Before that, he completed two practice sessions for Audi in Barcelona and Austria. That background gives Alpine a clear picture of where he is now and why the team keeps putting him in the car. Reserve drivers do more than fill a gap for a single session. They provide extra mileage, useful feedback and another reference point for a team that wants every lap to count. Monza gives Aron another opportunity to build that case ahead of the session. Alpine is using the outing to keep Aron sharp and to keep its own evaluation process moving. It is the kind of practice assignment that serves several goals at once, and it comes with no mystery about why it matters.
Alpine’s upgrade plan
The FP1 run also fits Alpine’s wider development work. The team wants Aron to evaluate its latest upgrade package, then return to the Enstone base for simulator work later that night to help fine-tune the setup. That sequence gives Alpine a clean loop from track to simulator, with the driver’s first impressions feeding directly into the next round of adjustments. It is a practical use of a rookie practice slot and a direct way to keep the car moving forward over the course of a weekend. Alpine also needs to satisfy its rookie practice requirement for the season, and Aron’s appearance helps check that box while giving the team another set of data to review. Gasly was not due on track until FP2, so Alpine can use the opening session for its development work without disrupting its main weekend plan. That matters because the team is trying to manage both immediate performance and longer-term refinement at the same event. The upgrade package is there for both Gasly and Franco Colapinto, and the team wants every piece of feedback it can gather before the weekend builds toward the race. Aron’s role is part of that process, not separate from it. The team gets a chance to run a younger driver through the car, compare his impressions with what it already knows and then sharpen the setup before the next session. Alpine is using Monza to do exactly that, with the rookie run, the simulator analysis and the car update all tied together in one plan.
Gasly’s Monza link
Monza still carries extra meaning for Gasly, and that gives Alpine’s weekend another layer. He lives in Milan, which puts him close to the track, and he also won his first Formula One race there in 2020. That combination makes the venue one of the most personal on the calendar for him, and it helps explain why the team’s update work there draws attention. Alpine said it arrived at Monza after scoring points in Zandvoort, a result that gives the team some momentum as it keeps working through its upgrade package. That package was first used on Gasly’s car at Zandvoort, and Monza now becomes the next test of how well it can perform. With Gasly and Colapinto set to run it, Alpine is trying to build a fuller picture of what the changes offer and where the car can improve. Aron’s FP1 session sits alongside that plan, even if his job is different. He gives the team a separate set of eyes on the package, and that can matter when the focus shifts from initial impressions to sharper setup choices later in the weekend. For Gasly, the setting adds a familiar edge. For Alpine, the challenge is more practical. The team wants the upgrade package to contribute to the car’s development across the weekend. Monza provides the stage, and Aron provides the extra run that keeps the development cycle moving.
