Seasoned Alpine F1 Team advisor Flavio Briatore has recently reignited speculation about the potential signing of Franco Colapinto for the 2026 F1 season.
This comes on the heels of the Argentine driver’s impressive performances as a late-season replacement for Logan Sargeant at Williams, where he made a notable impact by scoring points in two of his first four races.
Franco Colapinto’s swift adaptation to F1 has drawn attention from several top teams, including Alpine, which is now reassessing its options for the future.
Colapinto’s entry into Formula 1 was somewhat serendipitous. He stepped in for Sargeant during the latter part of the 2024 season, quickly making his mark by securing points in both the Azerbaijan and United States Grands Prix.
His ability to compete closely with established drivers such as Alex Albon showcased his potential and earned him admiration within the paddock.
These performances not only solidified his position at Williams but also caught the eye of major teams like Red Bull and Alpine F1 Team, who began to consider him as a viable candidate for their future lineups.
Despite his promising start, the complexities of driver contracts in Formula 1 present significant challenges. Williams has already confirmed Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon as their race drivers for 2025 F1, leaving Franco Colapinto in a reserve role.
This situation has led to speculation about his future, particularly regarding the Enstone based outfit’s interest in acquiring the 21-year old driver.
Flavio Briatore has hinted that while Alpine’s immediate focus is on their confirmed drivers—Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan—they are keeping an open mind about Franco Colapinto’s potential availability for 2026 F1.
In a recent interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Briatore emphasized that any driver showing speed and promise should be considered for future opportunities.
“I’m interested in any driver who is fast. Colapinto surprised everyone,“ the 74-year old said. “But we have contracts with Gasly, Doohan and [reserve driver, Paul] Aron for next season.
“If there was an opportunity to get Franco Colapinto for 2026 F1, you have to think about it.”
This comes after Franco Colapinto and his manager, Maria Catarineu of Bullet Sports Management were spotted talking to Briatore in the paddock at the Qatar Grand Prix.
READ ALSO: Reigniting Argentina’s F1 Legacy: Who is Franco Colapinto?
In order to make room for Colapinto, there were rumors that Alpine F1 Team was even thinking about pulling out of the agreement to promote Doohan as Gasly’s teammate for the upcoming campaign.
However, after several expensive on-track mishaps, Alpine’s interest in signing Colapinto for the upcoming season appears to have cooled, as Doohan made his F1 debut at last week’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of his first full campaign.
Briatore’s comments suggest that if an opportunity arises to sign Franco Colapinto for 2026 F1, it would be worth exploring. He noted the importance of carefully assessing driver performance and market dynamics, indicating that while immediate moves may not be feasible, future considerations remain viable.
“Nevertheless, you always have to be careful when assessing drivers,” he continued. “In this sport, you quickly get hyped up after a good race.
“Then the price rises and suddenly we’re talking about 20 or 30 million dollars. The choice today is much greater than it used to be, today, there are six to seven promising drivers in Formula 2 and Formula 3.
“We want to concentrate on the good ones in our academy and no longer run around with a watering can. It will probably come down to three drivers: Aron, [Gabriel] Mini and [Victor] Martins.”
F1 is experiencing a generational shift with the likes of Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas and Kevin Magnussen leaving Formula 1 while the 2025 F1 grid welcomes five rookies; Doohan, Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Oliver Bearman (Haas), Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber/Audi F1) and Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls).
Flavio Briatore believes that Carlos Sainz’s struggle to secure a good seat for 2025 F1 is an indication of a generational change, and he attributes this to the influence of former Alpine junior Oscar Piastri at McLaren, which made top teams more willing to put their faith in younger drivers.
“It is now time for a generational change,“ he added.“Sainz is a very good driver, but when he was on the market, none of the top teams took him on.
“They prefer to go for young drivers. Toto Wolff on Antonelli, Christian Horner on Lawson. Young drivers are hungrier than someone who has a wife and two children and €30-40million in the bank. Even Enzo Ferrari said that drivers slow down when they have children.
“I think the rise of Piastri has made people think. Bearman jumps into a Ferrari overnight [in Saudi Arabia] and drives a great race. The young drivers are much better trained and the competitive pressure is higher.
“In Formula 2, you’re in first place today and 14th tomorrow. [Lewis] Hamilton or [Nico] Rosberg used to win 70 percent of all races.
“When [Michael] Schumacher came to us [Benetton in 1991], he still lacked experience. We first sent Fernando [Alonso] to Minardi. Max Verstappen didn’t even have a driver’s license when he started at Toro Rosso.”
Despite missing out on a seat on the 2025 F1 grid, Franco Colapinto has expressed he would want to combine the extensive testing regime Williams has planned with racing in another series.
“I really want to still be racing and still be active,” Colapinto said at Las Vegas last month. “I want to be always part of the paddock. I think it’s very important. I love racing.
“If it’s not here, because there is not a chance for 2025. I hope to be around 2026 or 2027. I hope to be showing that I deserve a seat here. But if I cannot be racing instead of looking at the TV for 24 races I would love to be driving a car as well.”
