Franco Colapinto was conspicuously absent in Japan this weekend — but it appears that the Alpine reserve driver had far more productive activities in mind.

The Argentine racer was spotted at Monza turning laps in a older Alpine as part of the team’s Testing of Previous Cars programme.

Franco Colapinto’s private test at Monza

Alpine reserve driver Franco Colapinto is present at Monza this weekend, where he’ll be completing laps of the Italian track behind the wheel of Alpine’s A523.

In 2024, Colapinto emerged as a deeply impressive young talent in the final nine races of the year, taking over Logan Sargeant’s seat at Williams as the team attempted to revitalize its line-up.

By scoring points in two of his first four appearances, the Argentine driver suddenly rocketed onto the wish lists of many team principals looking to complete their driver line-ups for 2025, but unfortunately for Colapinto, most seats were filled by the time he appeared on the scene.

That left Colapinto signing with Alpine, joining the team’s reserve driver line-up in hopes of snatching a seat in the future.

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Several video clips and images have emerged from photographers and fans at the track, which show Colapinto behind the wheel of Alpine’s A523.

Colapinto has already had time behind the wheel of the team’s 2023 challenger, having secured a test in Barcelona back in early February. There, the Argentine driver was joined by Jack Doohan as the two engaged in a “complete” test that Flavio Briatore claimed was designed to evaluate everything about both drivers, from the way they handled stress to the way they set up their cars.

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This weekend’s Monza test is somewhat similar in that it pits Colapinto against Estonian racing driver Paul Aron. Aron is another of Alpine’s juniors, and this year, he’s serving as reserve driver as well.

The results of the test may be integral in Alpine’s determination of who will join Pierre Gasly during the remainder of 2025. Rumors have suggested that Jack Doohan’s contract is dependent on his performance, with the Australian contracted only for the first few races of the season.

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