It is a two-way battle for Alpine’s second F1 seat in 2026, with Franco Colapinto in contention alongside reserve driver Paul Aron. The Argentine has spoken about his position in Alpine’s plans for 2026, as speculation continues around who will partner Pierre Gasly.
With Gasly already secured until 2028, Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore has confirmed that a final decision will come by November. Briatore confirmed he is considering only Aron and Colapinto for the second seat, closing the door on a Jack Doohan comeback.
Colapinto’s 2025 season has been far from smooth. Since replacing Doohan mid-year at Imola, the Argentine has struggled to make a meaningful mark, becoming the only driver yet to score a point this season. Crashes in Baku and during the 2026 tyre test have not helped his cause.
Yet, in recent weeks, his consistency has improved, even out-qualifying Gasly twice in the past three rounds. When asked whether the constant rumours affected his performance, Colapinto was quick to dismiss the notion:
“No, there has been a lot of rumours and I don’t really look at them too much. I’m used to it and it’s just a way, you know, the sport Formula One. Any sport is like this and the athletes need to get used to it, I guess.”
Asked about his prospects with Briatore, the Williams graduate deflected, choosing instead to let his driving do the talking.
“I’m just trying to focus race by race, trying to be focused on my own performance. We have not been having the results we want as a team and I’m fully focused on maximising what I can do in the car and then the rest will come.”
“So I’m just fully focused on my side and trying to maximise everything.”
Colapinto says 2026 cars are very good
The Alpine camp itself is undergoing a transformation. The switch from Renault power to Mercedes engines in 2026, combined with a major technical overhaul under David Sanchez, has shifted expectations. Alpine has moved from lofty title talk to more measured goals of podiums and fighting at the front.
The team has sacrificed their current season to concentrate resources on next year’s challenger, and Colapinto seems optimistic about 2026.
“Yeah, I think it’s everything from scratch, everything from zero and we need to wait and see where the other teams are as well, but the team is doing a good job and they are going the right steps, the right improvements compared to the issues we had this season. Yeah, it looks better.”
With active aerodynamics, lighter cars, and sustainable fuels, the 2026 regulation shift is the biggest since the hybrid era. Some drivers have voiced concerns over how the cars will feel, but Colapinto appears optimistic:
“Let’s see. On the drive, I think it’s very good.”
Pressed further on the simulator’s accuracy, he added:
“It’s quite good I think. In the sim, it’s always the closest thing that we have to the real track and it’s something that always helps the drivers understand better each situation, so it definitely helps, but we need to wait and see what’s real or not.”
While the Argentine endured a rocky start to the 2025 season, with Briatore even questioning whether his promotion was a “mistake.” However, Colapinto’s recent showings have offered glimmers of encouragement. Still, he must quickly turn those flashes into points. He also needs to convince Briatore and Alpine’s top brass that he deserves the seat ahead of a rookie rival.
