Paul Aron will replace Colapinto in the first practice in Monza.

      Estonian driver Paul Aron will return to the Formula 1 cockpit in the first practice session of the Italian Grand Prix. Alpine's reserve driver will replace Franco Colapinto for one hour, with Colapinto set to take over in the second practice.

      Paul Aron: "I'm looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the A525 in my first Grand Prix with the team in Monza. I have known everyone at Alpine well since I joined them at the end of last year as a test and reserve driver. I appreciate the team's trust in letting me drive in the first Friday practice.

      I want to do my job as well as possible and help set up the car so the team can fight at a competitive level this weekend. Personally, it's useful for me to build on the experience gained on the simulator and in testing. I'll try to make the session interesting and productive for both me and the team."

      Franco Colapinto: "At Zandvoort it was nice to achieve my best result of the season, finishing eleventh. There were a lot of incidents in the race that allowed us to fight for points, so I'm grateful to everyone in the team for handling all the scenarios.

      On one hand it's pleasing that we were close to scoring points, as it shows progress, but on the other hand it's a bit frustrating because the reward was so close. We learned a lot over the weekend, and that information will help us in the run-in to the end of the season.

      Last year I made my Formula 1 debut in Monza, and now I look forward to returning to this circuit with more experience. This year I was already at Monza with the team for testing, and I can say that I like this historic track. Almost everyone likes it because of the high speeds and long straights.

      I look forward to getting back behind the wheel in the second practice and spending the weekend."

      Pierre Gasly: "We learned a lot after a difficult round at Zandvoort. The race was chaotic, and there was a chance to score points, but the decision to stay on Hard tyres didn't pay off. However, the intense battle on track was interesting — I enjoy those kinds of races — but it's a shame that in the end we came away without a reward.

      Monza is a special circuit for me, as I took my first Formula 1 win here in 2020. Given that I live in Milan, it's my home race, so I can sleep at home during the weekend, which is a privilege!

      The track is historic and fast, so it's interesting to drive here. The long straights usually open up good overtaking opportunities, but it's important to get the slow corners right, especially the first chicane.

      We are working hard and will take into account the lessons learned at Zandvoort. The team will try to finish the European part of the season with a good result."