Alpine to test new driver at Japanese Grand Prix

The French team Alpine is gearing up to give their reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa a chance, as he will participate in the first practice session ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix in the first weekend of April. This move comes amid rumors of Franco Colapinto's potential switch to Racing Bulls.

Details: The Japanese driver will take the wheel of an Alpine car for the first time on his home track. Meanwhile, Colapinto will continue his work on the simulator. The 31-year-old Hirakawa joined the team as a reserve driver after his victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 2022 and a championship title in the WEC.

Simultaneously, a conflict is brewing at Red Bull that could affect the future of the Argentine driver. According to Relevo and MotorSport, there is consideration of transferring Yuki Tsunoda to Red Bull, which could leave a spot for Colapinto at Racing Bulls. A decision on this matter is expected after an emergency meeting of the team management led by Christian Horner and Helmut Marko.

Reminder: After the Chinese Grand Prix, the team had doubts about Liam Lawson, which might lead to personnel changes within the Red Bull system.