A first Formula 1 race weekend for Minì
Gabriele Minì will take part in the opening practice session for the Mexico City Grand Prix, driving Franco Colapinto’s Alpine A526. Formula 2’s announcement on 27 October confirms his first appearance on a Formula 1 race weekend. The Italian has belonged to the Alpine Academy since 2023 and has already tested older machinery with the team. Preparation for this opportunity has included simulator work and time with engineers at Enstone. The confirmed assignment is FP1; it does not come with an additional announcement of a Formula 1 race seat.
The route from F4 to MP Motorsport
His official driver profile provides the milestones: the Italian Formula 4 title in 2020, second place in Formula Regional Europe in 2022 and runner-up honours in Formula 3 in 2024. After his first full Formula 2 season with PREMA ended in 13th place in 2025, Minì moved to MP Motorsport. Those steps describe a progression built across several championships. The Mexico session adds experience at the next level alongside his main racing programme, rather than replacing the work still to be done there.
The Formula 2 fight continues
The official standings checked on 27 October put Minì fourth on 163 points. Rafael Câmara leads with 207, ahead of Nikola Tsolov on 200 and Alexander Dunne on 189. The calculated deficit to the leader is therefore 44 points. Minì’s two victories this season came in the Miami Feature Race and the Budapest Sprint. Two Formula 2 rounds remain, so this individual promotion to an FP1 session does not bring that campaign to an end or settle its championship outcome.
What to watch during a practice opportunity
APEX’s reading is that a first official session should be assessed through the quality of the work, alongside the final position. A coherent programme, clear feedback and the ability to return to consistent driving references are useful questions for Friday’s review. Lap times will need context: tyres, fuel loads and running objectives can differ between cars. Without that information, an isolated order cannot turn an hour of practice into a verdict on long-term potential. No result from the session is known at publication, and a future evaluation should begin with what actually happens on track.
Mexico now, the F2 finale later
The Mexican weekend runs from 30 October to 1 November on a 4.304-kilometre circuit more than 2,000 metres above sea level. Formula 2 is not racing there: its calendar resumes at Lusail on 27–29 November, followed by Yas Marina on 4–6 December. Readers can follow the two strands separately: how Minì adapts to an F1 session and the results with which he completes his F2 season. A practice opportunity supplies a development reference; championship points are decided in races, with their own demands and competitive context.
