Could Alpine bench Franco Colapinto for Malaysia and who could replace him?

Alpine is contemplating disciplinary action against Franco Colapinto following a significant crash during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where he took out both his teammate Pierre Gasly and McLaren's Lando Norris. Flavio Briatore, Alpine's chief, expressed his disappointment and indicated that the team would reflect on the situation to determine appropriate measures, which could range from a warning to benching Colapinto for the upcoming race in Malaysia.

If Alpine decides to replace Colapinto, their options are limited to reserve drivers Paul Aron and Kush Maini, with Aron likely being the preferred choice due to his experience in Formula 1 practice sessions. Other potential candidates include Daniil Kvyat and Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti, but there are concerns about their performance compared to Colapinto, who has contributed significantly to the team's points this season.