This season, Franco Colapinto has joined the Alpine team as a reserve driver. Although he is gradually taking over from the previously underperforming Jack Doohan on the European circuits, his performance has not reached the impressive levels he achieved last year. Looking back, Colapinto received external recognition for his steady performance while replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams. However, after switching to Alpine this season, he replaced Doohan at the Emilia GP but failed to deliver a sufficiently convincing performance. Things took a turn for the worse when he made a mistake during the Pirelli tire test on the Hungaroring during the summer break, making his development trajectory quite challenging.
Despite this, the situation seems to have taken a turn as the season heads into the Americas. Reports suggest that Alpine team director Flavio Briatore discreetly traveled to Argentina after the U.S. Grand Prix to meet with key partner Mercado Libre, who supports Colapinto. He then visited former F1 titan Bernie Ecclestone’s estate in Brazil before reuniting with the entire team in Mexico. These moves have led to speculation that Colapinto’s chances of staying with Alpine are steadily increasing.
Ultimately, the Alpine team confirmed the news in an official statement ahead of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, announcing that Franco Colapinto would continue to partner with Pierre Gasly as they face the challenges of the upcoming season. The statement noted that Colapinto’s underperformance is partly linked to the car’s inadequacies, while also emphasizing the positive impact his collaboration with Gasly has on the team’s morale and market operations.
However, from a practical standpoint, the current competitive edge and appeal of the Alpine team are quite limited. With many drivers’ contracts already secured until the 2026 technical regulation changes and beyond, Colapinto’s continued presence might be more about business necessities. Although there is still room for improvement in his performance, the revenue he brings and the supportive resources behind him provide the team with essential financial and market backing.
After Colapinto’s successful retention, the future plans of other reserve drivers within the team, including Jack Doohan and Paul Aron, have also become a focal point of interest. Reports suggest that Doohan has begun discussions with the Toyota team, planning to partner with F2 points leader Leonardo Fornaroli, as he transitions to the Japanese Super Formula. Meanwhile, Paul Aron may continue in his role as a reserve driver for Alpine in the short term, but he needs to secure more substantial support to ensure a complete opportunity to participate in race weekends.
