Alpine are investing heavily in Franco Colapinto, who they spent several months in negotiations with to sign from Williams. The 21-year-old is currently Alpine’s reserve driver, but the expectation is that – at some stage – he will be promoted to a full-time role.
According to Colapinto’s agent, he signed a multi-year loan contract with Alpine – where he will be ‘on loan’ from Williams. He will spend the foreseeable future at Enstone, but Williams will eventually have the ability to recall him.
This obviously creates a somewhat uncomfortable environment for Jack Doohan, whose position is already looking precarious.
Recent comments from Flavio Briatore further reinforce the idea that Colapinto is poised for a promotion.
Franco Colapinto is central to the Alpine project
After Verstappen claimed his fourth Championship in Brazil, Franco Colapinto’s future became the biggest talking point to end 2024.
The Argentine received interest from Red Bull and Alpine in the first weeks after his debut, before the French team established themselves as his most enthusiastic pursuers.
For obvious reasons, Jack Doohan’s contract raised question marks about how far Alpine were willing to negotiate.
With both Gasly and Doohan confirmed for 2025, accommodating Colapinto seemed a difficult task.
However, Flavio Briatore created a solution to hit two birds with one stone. Although Doohan will start the year alongside Pierre Gasly, Colapinto is Alpine’s official reserve driver.
Should the Australian fail to perform at the required level, he could be replaced mid-season.
Briatore’s refusal to guarantee that Doohan will finish 2025 as an Alpine driver seem evidence enough that Colapinto could make his F1 debut later this year.
Objectively speaking, Doohan needs to perform at a very high level – especially for a rookie – to delay Alpine’s promotion of Colapinto.
Aside from being a talented driver capable of delivering results, there are other things the youngster offers.
Perhaps most notably, the Argentine generates large amounts of sponsorship and commercial interest.
This is partly why Alpine were willing to pay a substantial fee to his services from Williams – albeit on a loan deal.
Briatore: We fought to have Colapinto in the team
At least officially, there is no specific timeline for when Alpine will make a driver swap.
Technically speaking, Franco Colapinto could spend the remainder of the year as a reserve driver – with Doohan completing the season.
Then again, it is difficult to imagine this scenario playing out. The French team didn’t pay Williams a hefty fee to sign Colapinto just to keep him on the sidelines.
Flavio Briatore’s recent statements to Argentine outlet ElTrece confirm that Alpine are all in on Colapinto:
“He’s quick, he’s quick. Franco is a very very good driver, he’s doing some experience. But we believe in Franco.
“We fought to have Franco in the team, and for the future Franco is one of the most important assets for us.
“In Formula 1, what is important is the timing. He is a nice guy, he respects the sponsors and has very good conversations with the engineers.
“He is working very hard in this moment with us. I am very happy.
“What the promise is, we try the best to make Franco in the position to do the job.
“This is what we need to do, between all the efforts with the engineers, to make sure he has the right car to do the job. After, we will see.”
Of course, Alpine will downplay the idea that Jack Doohan’s days in F1 are already numbered.
Having said that, there is an abundance of evidence to suggest it is only a matter of when – not if – Colapinto steps into an F1 car.
