Overview
- Alpine confirmed on Tuesday that reserve driver Paul Aron will take Franco Colapinto’s A526 for the first practice (FP1) at the Hungarian Grand Prix to meet the FIA rule that requires teams to give track time to young drivers.
- Franco Colapinto will resume driving in FP2 and will compete normally in FP3, qualifying and the race for the rest of the Hungaroring weekend.
- Team leadership has delayed a major aerodynamic update to the A526 until after the summer break, with the package scheduled for Zandvoort, so Alpine will run Hungary with the existing car.
- After the race Colapinto is scheduled to remain for official Pirelli tyre development tests at the Nürburgring on the Tuesday and Wednesday that follow the Grand Prix.
- European media have floated speculative 2027 transfer chains linking Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz and Colapinto, but those scenarios are unconfirmed despite reports Colapinto met Williams leadership recently and Alpine planning a seat decision for August.