Mexico GP grid reshuffled for Friday practice as Colapinto, Albon and Russell step aside

News Summary

• Franco Colapinto will miss the opening Mexican Grand Prix practice session, with Alpine handing his car to Formula 2 driver Gabriele Minì.
• Alex Albon will make way for Luke Browning at Williams, while George Russell has already been confirmed to give up his Mercedes to Frederik Vesti.
• Audi’s Freddie Slater and Aston Martin’s Jak Crawford are also scheduled for FP1, bringing the reported number of confirmed substitutions to five.

Franco Colapinto, Alex Albon and George Russell will sit out the opening practice session of the 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix, with Alpine, Williams and Mercedes giving young drivers opportunities under Formula 1’s mandatory rookie-running programme. Gabriele Minì will take over Colapinto’s Alpine, Luke Browning will replace Albon at Williams, and Frederik Vesti will drive Russell’s Mercedes.

The latest confirmations significantly expand the number of substitutions planned for Friday (October 30) at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Audi’s Freddie Slater is also scheduled to replace Gabriel Bortoleto, while Aston Martin has assigned Jak Crawford to Lance Stroll’s car. At least five regular drivers are therefore expected to miss the opening hour of practice, with the number subject to further team announcements.

Colapinto steps aside as Minì makes Formula 1 weekend debut

Gabriele Minì will take part in his first official Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend with Alpine.

The Italian has been associated with the team’s junior development programme since 2023 and has gained experience with older Formula 1 cars through testing.

He is currently fourth in the Formula 2 championship, having spent much of the season among the leading contenders.

Mexico represents his first opportunity to drive a current-generation F1 car during an official race-weekend session.

Minì will replace Colapinto, who will return for Friday’s second practice session.

The Italian explained that he had prepared for the opportunity through simulator work and discussions with Alpine engineers at Enstone.

His priority will be to complete the team’s programme and provide useful technical feedback rather than pursue an outright competitive lap time.

For Colapinto, the substitution comes immediately after a difficult United States Grand Prix, where the Argentine retired from the race.

The Mexican weekend therefore offers an opportunity to rebuild momentum, although the reduced amount of practice time will leave him with less running before qualifying.

Browning returns to Williams in Mexico and Brazil

Williams has confirmed two further appearances for reserve driver Luke Browning.

The British driver will replace Albon in Mexico before taking over Carlos Sainz’s car during the opening practice session at São Paulo.

Browning has already accumulated several Formula 1 practice appearances and continues combining his Williams responsibilities with racing in Japan’s Super Formula championship.

His Mexico outing will be particularly valuable because Williams has introduced significant technical changes to its FW48 since his earlier running.

The team implemented a lighter chassis specification during the season, and Friday’s session will allow Browning to evaluate the updated package.

Williams can also compare his track feedback with the data collected during simulator preparation.

Albon will return for FP2 in Mexico, while Sainz is scheduled to complete the corresponding programme in Brazil.

Mercedes, Audi and Aston Martin also give young drivers track time

Mercedes has already confirmed that Frederik Vesti will replace Russell during Mexican GP FP1.

The Dane has previous experience with the team and has already driven the W17 during the 2026 season.

Audi will use Freddie Slater in Bortoleto’s car.

The British teenager is set to return at São Paulo in Nico Hülkenberg’s place, completing another stage of his development programme.

His appearances were detailed in Audi’s confirmation of Slater’s Mexico and Brazil FP1 schedule.

Aston Martin, meanwhile, has assigned reserve driver Jak Crawford to the opening session in place of Stroll.

Mexican GP 2026 — Reported FP1 driver substitutions

List reflects announced or reported substitutions as of October 27. It is not necessarily the final FP1 entry list.

All five regular drivers are expected to resume their programmes from FP2.

Why are so many drivers being replaced in Mexico?

Under Formula 1’s 2026 sporting regulations, teams must give eligible inexperienced drivers opportunities in free practice.

The current requirement amounts to four rookie appearances per team during the season, allocated across the two race cars.

Mexico is an attractive venue for fulfilling those obligations because it follows a traditional three-practice-session format.

That gives the regular drivers two remaining sessions to prepare for qualifying after sitting out FP1.

However, the circuit’s altitude creates additional complications.

Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez sits approximately 2,240 metres above sea level, where reduced air density affects power-unit cooling and aerodynamic downforce.

As GRANDE PRÊMIO examined in its technical analysis of the 2026 hybrid engines, the venue presents particular challenges for energy management and cooling efficiency.

That makes the data collected by reserve and junior drivers important to the regular race programme.

What time does Mexico FP1 start?

The opening practice session begins at 12:30pm local time on Friday, October 30.

The rest of the weekend continues with FP2 on Friday, FP3 and qualifying on Saturday, and the Grand Prix on Sunday.

For international audiences, the Mexico City Grand Prix guide for India and the Australia/New Zealand timetable provide local schedules.

GRANDE PRÊMIO is following every session of the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend, with breaking news, full coverage and real-time updates in its Formula 1 section.