As the season opener of the 2025 Formula 1 season in Australia looms, F1 teams and their drivers are gearing up for the challenge. A new year brings new opportunities, and this is no different for the reserve drivers, who will be on standby should a replacement be needed for any reason. Here is an overview of the reserve drivers for the teams ranked 6th to 10th in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship.
A reserve driver in a Formula 1 team plays a crucial role behind the scenes and is more than just a stand-in for a regular driver who is unable to race. In addition to being ready to step in due to illness or injury, they perform valuable simulator work at the team’s headquarters, attend technical meetings, and occasionally test drive. They often participate in rookie training during race weekends, gaining experience in an F1 car.
A new rule for the 2025 F1 season stipulates that teams must allocate their car to a rookie four times per season during the first free practice session. Last season, this was only twice, meaning rookies now have more opportunities to prove themselves.
Alpine
Franco Colapinto
Franco Colapinto caught the attention of the paddock after finishing in the points twice for Williams as a replacement for the dismissed Logan Sargeant. This season, the Argentine has joined Alpine as a reserve driver, and rumors suggest that if Jack Doohan does not perform optimally, he could be his replacement.
Ryo Hirakawa
Ryo Hirakawa is another new addition to Alpine’s reserve roster. He has tested for McLaren and Haas and brings experience from various single-seater and endurance championships. He will participate in Alpine’s Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) program, perform simulator work, and gain extra track time during the first free practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix, his home event.
Paul Aron
Paul Aron has also secured a spot as a reserve driver. The third-place finisher in the 2024 Formula 2 Championship has a good relationship with the new Alpine team boss Oliver Oakes. The Estonian raced for the Hitech team, founded by Oakes, in F2 and finished third in the championship.
Haas
Reserve Driver(s) Yet to be Confirmed
While Haas has yet to confirm who they will appoint as their reserve driver, the position has been held in recent years by Pietro Fittipaldi. The Brazilian is the only driver who has progressed from Haas’s training program to F1, albeit for two stand-in appearances following Romain Grosjean’s dramatic crash during the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2020. Haas can also draw from Ferrari’s reserve roster. Rookie Oliver Bearman has already participated in two grand prix races as a result.
Racing Bulls
Reserve Driver(s) Yet to be Confirmed
The Red Bull stable has a vacancy for a reserve driver due to Liam Lawson‘s promotion to the main team. As Lawson has served as a reserve for both Red Bull and Racing Bulls, the latter team will likely draw from the talent pool of its big brother this season. Possible candidates include F2 racer Pepe Martí and Super Formula driver Ayumu Iwasa.
Williams
Reserve Driver(s) Yet to be Confirmed
Although Franco Colapinto seemed the most likely candidate for a role as a reserve driver at Williams, his move to Alpine means the team must look for an alternative. Drawing from the Mercedes pool is an option for the customer team, which could potentially see Valtteri Bottas making a comeback. Alternatively, Williams could look to their own junior program, which includes F2 driver Luke Browning among others.
Sauber
Reserve Driver(s) Yet to be Confirmed
Théo Pourchaire was long listed as a reserve driver, but in December 2024, Sauber announced they were parting ways with him. There’s a high likelihood that the team will pluck a reserve driver from Ferrari in case of emergency. Both Antonio Giovinazzi and Zhou Guanyu have a history with the Swiss team.
