The French team paid a sizable fee to brake the Argentine free from his Williams<\/a> contract, clear evidence of Flavio Briatore’s intent to sign him.<\/p>\n In the months since, however, Briatore has not given any guarantees about Colapinto’s future.<\/p>\n On paper, without clear alternatives, there is currently no imminent threat. With that said, Flavio Briatore’s recent declarations offer no promises.<\/p>\n Although there are still ten rounds left in 2025, there has been extensive coverage on Franco Colapinto.<\/p>\n His mid-season arrival at Alpine, though somewhat abrupt, was largely foreseen at the beginning of the year.<\/p>\n The youngster signed a multi-year deal with Alpine in January, which was a clear indication of the Enstone team’s investment in his services.<\/p>\n Alpine’s swift demotion of Doohan<\/a>, whose rookie campaign was at least respectable, added to this sentiment.<\/p>\n However, things have not gone to plan for Colapinto.<\/p>\n Fundamentally, the 22-year-old is driving what has been the slowest car on average in 2025.<\/p>\n This means points have rarely been attainable, even when outperforming teammate Pierre Gasly<\/a>.<\/p>\n Whilst Colapinto is not to blame for this, it has meant that his mistakes (spins, crashes) are more likely to spark conversations than anything else.<\/p>\n When asked if Mick Schumacher was one of Alpine’s options for 2026, Briatore gave the following response:<\/p>\n “And maybe Colapinto, [is facing] the same problem as what Toto said – too much pressure to be in Formula 1.<\/em><\/p>\n “Last year, he had two or three races with James [Vowles at Williams], where he did very well.<\/em><\/p>\n “But maybe to be in the team, with a good driver like Pierre, and always in competition with the team-mate – maybe we put too much pressure on him.<\/em><\/p>\n “I think we need to consider that… The driver is a human being, and we need to understand what\u2019s going on in the heads of these kids. <\/em><\/p>\n “These are young kids – 19, 20, 22, 23 years old.<\/em><\/p>\n “And I think it\u2019s out mistake to underestimate the human part of the driver.”<\/em><\/p>\n Immediately after these introspective comments, Briatore issued a reminder that nothing is guaranteed for Colapinto:<\/p>\n “We\u2019re always looking at the timing.<\/em><\/p>\n “Maybe I missed something in the management of the driver, Colapinto. <\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/08\/BWT-Alpine-Formula-One-Team-2025-Formula-One-Canadian-Grand-Prix-Saturday-1024x683.jpg\")
Briatore: “Maybe I missed something”<\/h2>\n
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