Piastri to sit out F1 Italian GP FP1 as Dunne gets latest outing

Formula 1 championship leader Oscar Piastri will sit out Free Practice 1 at the Italian Grand Prix, where he will be replaced by McLaren junior Alex Dunne.

Current F1 sporting regulations demand that teams run rookies – drivers who have not competed in more than two grands prix – on race weekends on four occasions over the season. This typically happens in Free Practice 1 on well-known tracks, where the regular driver theoretically won’t lose out too much in terms of preparation for the remainder of the event.

Dunne previously replaced Lando Norris in FP1 at the Austrian GP, taking fourth place with a 0.069s deficit to Piastri. A member of McLaren’s driver development programme since May 2024, he will now drive the team’s other car.

“My first one in Austria was an extremely special day for me, but I think to do it again in Monza, which is a track that’s so historic and prestigious, is definitely going to put a very big smile on my face,” the Irishman said.

“Hopefully I can build and improve on what was already a strong outing in Austria, and help Lando and Oscar as much as possible going into their weekend.”

A British F4 champion and GB3 runner-up, Dunne has been a frontrunner in every championship he has taken part in full-time – except for a winless F3 campaign last year.

Now participating in his maiden F2 campaign with Rodin, the 19-year-old is one of five drivers in the title hunt, having already won two feature races.

A third Sunday victory escaped him amid a commanding display on a wet Spa-Francorchamps track, where a 10-second penalty for a start procedure infringement dropped him to ninth.

Aron replaces Colapinto

Dunne won’t be the only young driver in action during that FP1 session, with Paul Aron taking over Franco Colapinto’s car at Alpine.

Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor of Alpine F1 talks with Paul Aron of Estonia.

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Having taken third place in F2 last year, the 21-year-old Estonian has no racing programme this year and focuses on his role as a reserve driver with the Enstone-based squad; he was loaned out to Sauber for practice sessions at Silverstone and the Hungaroring earlier this summer, and previously drove Alpine’s current F1 car in a Pirelli test following the Hungarian GP.

Alpine has clarified that it opted not to declare Jack Doohan’s Melbourne entry as a rookie outing “to keep it equitable with two driver changes for both cars”. Ryo Hirakawa drove the Australian’s car at Suzuka, so the team still needs Pierre Gasly to sit out two sessions later on.