Author Archives: PressBox

Alpine will give reserve driver Paul Aron Friday’s first practice session at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, with Pierre Gasly stepping aside for the opening hour to comply with Formula One’s rookie FP1 rules. The run is expected to be Aron’s fourth practice appearance of the season and his second with Alpine, after earlier outings for Audi in Barcelona and Austria and for Alpine in Hungary.

The session is also intended to help Alpine assess its latest upgrade package and fine-tune the car’s setup. Aron said he was looking forward to helping the team with that work, and after FP1 he was due to return to Alpine’s Enstone base for simulator duties later in the weekend. He was also set to come back to Monza on Saturday.

Gasly was not scheduled to take to the track until FP2, and he said Monza was a special event because he lives in Milan and won his first Formula One race there in 2020. He said Alpine arrived at Monza encouraged after scoring points in Zandvoort and wanted to build on the upgrade package as it chased more points in the championship fight.

Jenson Button praised Fernando Alonso as one of F1’s defining drivers, saying racing him was much like racing Michael Schumacher because both were hard but fair and always on the limit. Writing in an Aston Martin column ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, Button said Alonso’s aggression, adaptability and unmistakable style made him stand out, and he added that the Spaniard will be remembered as one of F1’s greats.

Button said he hopes Alonso keeps racing a little longer and suggested the 45-year-old may want to stay in F1 beyond 2026 so his son can see him compete. He said he does not know Alonso’s plans, but believes the Aston Martin driver still has “so much more to give.” Alonso’s current contract runs through the end of the 2026 season.

Alonso remains the biggest unresolved name in the 2027 driver market, with top teams already tied up and Alpine having confirmed its lineup. Alonso has said he remains committed to Aston Martin’s long-term project, and Button hopes the former McLaren teammate stays with the team and fights for wins. For now, Button said the realistic options are Alonso staying at Aston Martin or retiring.

Formula 1’s 2027 driver market is unusually stable, with recent contract extensions locking down most of the grid and leaving only a handful of openings. Max Verstappen is secured at Red Bull through 2030, Lando Norris has extended with McLaren until at least 2030, Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari deal runs to at least the end of 2030, and Alpine has re-signed Franco Colapinto alongside Pierre Gasly. McLaren are set for 2027 with Norris and Oscar Piastri, Ferrari are sticking with Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, and team academies at Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren have helped push stability over riskier outside hires.

Even with the grid largely settled, Red Bull’s two teams still have unresolved seats, including Isack Hadjar’s seat and both Racing Bulls drives. Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad and Nikola Tsolov are among the drivers in contention for those openings. Mercedes is expected to keep George Russell and Kimi Antonelli for 2027, Audi is expected to keep Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, and Williams will stay with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz.

The remaining uncertainty is concentrated at the edges of the market. Fernando Alonso’s decision on whether to continue at Aston Martin could create a major vacancy, and Haas may have the only other realistic opening if it moves on from Esteban Ocon. Red Bull’s lack of pace could reopen driver-market talks, while a future rise from Aston Martin or another team could create new opportunities. Ferrari could also face a later vacancy if Hamilton retires before or around the end of his current contract, which runs through 2028, with Oliver Bearman viewed as an internal candidate.

Hot, dry conditions were expected to shape the Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza, with forecasts calling for little chance of rain and temperatures in the low to mid-30s Celsius. Friday’s two practice sessions were set for bright sunshine and very light winds, Saturday could reach 35C with some cloud for qualifying, and Sunday was forecast to be sunny at 34C. The race-day wind was expected to shift from west to east, creating a headwind into the Della Roggia chicane and a tailwind toward Ascari, a pattern the report said would favor Kimi Antonelli even though he was set to start from the back of the grid after an engine-related penalty.

Round 13 of the 2026 Formula 1 season runs from Sept. 4-6 at Monza. The weekend includes practice on Friday, final practice and qualifying on Saturday, and a 53-lap race on Sunday. The grand prix is scheduled for 3 p.m. local time in Monza and 2 p.m. in the UK, and F2 and F3 are also on the support bill at the Italian circuit.

Antonelli arrives with a 59-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell after a Dutch Grand Prix podium, while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton finished third there. Lando Norris comes to Monza after back-to-back wins in Hungary and Zandvoort and after signing a new McLaren contract that runs through the end of 2030. Ferrari plans to run a Michael Schumacher tribute livery at its home race.

Kimi Antonelli says shifting his focus from chasing wins to enjoying F1 has helped drive his second-season title charge for Mercedes. The 20-year-old leads the 2026 championship by 59 points over teammate George Russell, with Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton also in the hunt, after becoming the youngest driver to top the standings following consecutive victories in China and Japan. He has six wins and six podiums this season, and advice from Roger Federer and other athletes to be himself and enjoy the moment has helped him stay calm.

Antonelli said the difficult moments in his rookie year made him mentally and emotionally stronger and helped him handle pressure more calmly. He spent part of the summer break watching races on TV and talking about F1 in a relaxed way, and he believes the season is only halfway over, so the job is not done. He now says setbacks are turned into strong results rather than allowed to snowball.

His next test is his home Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Mercedes is set to fit a new power unit, which will trigger a 10-place grid penalty, but Antonelli still expects a better Monza experience than last year after retiring at Imola and finishing ninth at Monza.