Minì to replace Gasly in São Paulo Grand Prix practice

Gabriele Minì will return to an Alpine Formula 1 car in São Paulo, taking over from Pierre Gasly for the opening practice session at the São Paulo Grand Prix. The outing will be Minì’s second appearance in a grand prix weekend.

The team confirmed the change after Minì made his F1 weekend debut in Mexico City. There, he drove the A525 previously assigned to Franco Colapinto. Gasly will now sit out the first 60 minutes of running at Interlagos, with the source noting that he still had one session left to take.

Minì returns after his Mexico City debut

The São Paulo session gives Minì another chance to get to grips with Alpine’s car in a grand prix setting, following his first outing at the previous round. His Mexico appearance came when he stepped into Colapinto’s car; this time, it is Gasly who will hand over his seat.

The change is part of a wider set of driver substitutions announced for the session. Freddie Slater is set to drive for Nico Hülkenberg at Audi, Leonardo Fornaroli will take Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, and Luke Browning is scheduled to replace Carlos Sainz at Williams.

For a closer look at the first step in Minì’s F1 path, read our report on his Mexico City debut. We have also covered Minì’s junior-racing progress.

Cadillac’s Herta also expected to appear

Colton Herta is also expected to take part in another FP1 session, with the outing intended to help him qualify for a superlicence at Cadillac. His participation is described as expected, while the four substitutions involving Slater, Fornaroli, Browning and Minì have been confirmed.

That leaves Interlagos practice with a substantial focus on drivers stepping into cars normally occupied by their team-mates. For Minì, the session marks a return to the F1 cockpit only one round after his debut, while Gasly gives up the opening hour as the team allocates its practice running.

The line-up also includes drivers from Audi, McLaren and Williams, making the São Paulo session an important opportunity for several prospects to gain track time in a Formula 1 car. Alpine’s announcement confirms Minì’s second appearance, with the opening 60 minutes at Interlagos set to be his latest chance to build experience at a grand prix weekend.