Gabriel Bortoleto to miss Austrian GP FP1 with Alpine reserve set for latest Audi outing

The Audi F1 team has confirmed that Alpine reserve Paul Aron will drive Gabriel Bortoleto’s car in FP1 at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.

Aron, a former Mercedes junior, joined Alpine as the team’s reserve driver ahead of the 2025 season.

Paul Aron to make latest Audi F1 outing in Austrian Grand Prix FP1

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The Estonian found himself at the centre of an unusual loan agreement last year, which saw Sauber – now competing as Audi – field Aron in a number of practice sessions.

Aron made his first two FP1 appearances in Britain and Hungary last summer before representing Alpine in opening practice in Italy, Mexico and Abu Dhabi later in the season.

He made his first practice outing of the F1 2026 season in Barcelona earlier this month, deputising for Bortoleto’s teammate Nico Hulkenberg.

Aron was classified sixth in FP1 in Spain, lapping 0.9 seconds faster than Bortoleto.

Gabriel Bortoleto vs Nico Hulkenberg: Audi F1 head-to-head stats for F1 2026 season

F1 2026: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between teammates

F1 2026: Head-to-head race statistics between teammates

Aron is set to return to the cockpit of the R26 in Austria this weekend, standing in for Bortoleto.

Under F1’s rules, teams are required to field a rookie driver – classed as drivers who have started no more than two grands prix – in four practice sessions over the course of a season.

With Hulkenberg and Bortoleto sitting out one FP1 session apiece as of this weekend, the pair will be forced to miss one more over the remaining 14 race weekends.

Despite scoring just two points so far, Audi has enjoyed a competitive start to its debut season with Bortoleto and Hulkenberg regularly finishing on the fringes of the top 10.

Bortoleto’s ninth-place finish at the season opener in Australia remains the team’s best result of the campaign to date.

Audi is the only team on the F1 2026 grid without an official reserve driver.

The team relied on a sharing agreement with Ferrari during its final season as Sauber in 2025, with former drivers Antonio Giovinazzi and Zhou Guanyu – now acting as Cadillac’s reserve – available to the team in emergency circumstances.

Despite cutting ties with Ferrari ahead of this season, Audi has so far opted against having an official reserve driver in place.

Audi launched its own junior academy earlier this year with Freddie Slater, the 17-year-old British driver currently competing in Formula 3, named as the first recruit.

Emma Felbermayr, a 19-year-old Austrian competing in the all-female F1 Academy series, is also attached to Audi’s junior scheme.

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