In addition to various changes in team principals and senior management, there have been plenty of driver swaps over the twelve months.<\/p>\n
Franco Colapinto, who replaced Jack Doohan after Miami, now finds himself under some pressure only a few months later.<\/p>\n
Despite Alpine’s investment in Colapinto, they are exploring alternatives in the market – including Valtteri Bottas.<\/p>\n
Alpine in talks with Valtteri Bottas as Franco Colapinto put under pressure<\/h2>\n
For the first few months of the season, Jack Doohan’s position was a regular talking point.<\/p>\n
With Alpine signing a multi-year deal with Colapinto in January (initially making him reserve driver), it seemed only a matter of time before the Argentine joined the team.<\/p>\n Indeed, barely a quarter into the 2025 campaign, Franco Colapinto was put alongside Pierre Gasly in the A525.<\/p>\n Since then, however, the 22-year-old has struggled to find his rhythm.<\/p>\n In many ways, this is to be expected. Being put into a seat mid-season without any pre-season testing is a huge challenge.<\/p>\n Alongside a seasoned driver like Gasly, Colapinto was always going to face an uphill battle to hold his own.<\/p>\n Unfortunately for Colapinto, this is not an excuse that Flavio Briatore will accept.<\/p>\n Briatore has given mixed messages<\/a> about his satisfaction with his latest signing over the last few months.<\/p>\n Most recently in Austria, however, the 74-year-old stated that Colapinto will “need to improve”.<\/p>\n Because of this, the latest report from The Race<\/a> – that Alpine have approached Valtteri Bottas – is all the more significant.<\/p>\n Whilst it would be a stretch to say that Bottas is on his way to join the French team, there is certainly some hesitance at Enstone about Colapinto.<\/p>\n Given that Alpine replaced Esteban Ocon (who spent five years at the team) before the final race of 2025, they cannot be discounted from making another shock change.<\/p>\n Colapinto still has time to cement himself at Alpine – but he is nonetheless under heavy scrutiny.<\/p>\n With the French team set to become a Mercedes customer in 2026, signing Bottas is a realistic path forward.<\/p>\n Of course, Bottas is also in negotiations with Cadillac<\/a>. The American outfit are looking to finalise their driver line-up ahead of their 2026 entry.<\/p>\n As reported by LWOS on several occasions, Valtteri Bottas is a front-runner to join Cadillac in 2026.<\/p>\n This means, even if Alpine are interested in the Finn’s services, they will face competition to secure his signature.<\/p>\n At the same time, Flavio Briatore will be impatient for results to improve.<\/p>\n Bottas, thanks to his experience and proven track record, is therefore a logical option he could turn to.<\/p>\n Frankly, though, the uncertainty surrounding Colapinto’s future speaks to something beyond his performances.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/06\/BWT-Alpine-Formula-One-Team-Grand-Prix-dAutriche-de-Formule-1-2025-dimanche-1024x682.jpg\")
Uncertainty continues at Alpine<\/h4>\n
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