Pierre Gasly was absent from the F1 paddock at Monza on Thursday, the AlphaTauri driver feeling under the weather and ordered by doctors to spend the day resting.
AlphaTauri did not shed any light on Gasly's condition or whether the Frenchman is expected to be up and running come Friday's opening day of running at the Italian Grand Prix.
However, F2 charger Liam Lawson, the Faenza-based outfit's reserve driver, is on stand-by this weekend to fill in for Gasly just in case.
The Frenchman's name has been in the headline's recently as a front-running candidate to fill Fernando Alonso's vacant seat at Alpine for 2023.
Talks have taken place between the Enstone outfit and Red Bull, to whom Gasly is contracted until the end of 2023, on the conditions that would allow for Gasly's early release from AlphaTauri and his subsequent move to Alpine for next season.
It is believed that deal hinges on the FIA awarding IndyCar stara superlicence exemption that would allow the young American to join the Red Bull family and race in F1 next year with AlphaTauri.
"That’s the key element," stated Red Bull team boss Christian Horner last weekend in Zandvoort.
"We aren’t going to replace Pierre unless we have someone exciting to put in that car."
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
