Franco Colapinto isn’t packing a suitcase this August. Alpine’s rookie has binned off his summer holiday to chase answers, determined to turn a bruising first stretch of races into something more convincing in the back half of 2025.
Since stepping in for Jack Doohan ahead of Imola in May, the Argentine’s best finish is 13th from eight starts — a stark comedown after that eye-catching Williams cameo late last year that put him on the map. He initially signed on as Alpine’s reserve for 2025, only to get the call-up six rounds in. The learning curve has been steep, and the stopwatch unforgiving.
“I’ve done a few races less than the others, so I need to keep working,” Colapinto said at the Hungaroring. “When you’re not comfortable with the performance, you just keep pushing. Use the free time to learn, understand what you need to get better, and come back from the break stronger.”
He’ll do it under the watch of Flavio Briatore, whose return as Alpine adviser has sharpened scrutiny on the team’s driver choices. Martin Brundle, who raced under Briatore at Benetton in 1992, didn’t mince words on Sky F1: “He’s certainly not doing a particularly good job… It doesn’t bode well. The trouble with Flavio is… you’re a disposable item as a racing driver generally speaking. This is a competitive business, it’s not finishing school. If you don’t deliver, you’re like a lightbulb: they’ll take you out and put another bulb in.”
That’s the headline threat, at least. Behind the scenes, there’s a little more patience. Colapinto’s camp has shored up fresh backing — including a personal deal with telecoms giant Claro — and the signals from inside Enstone suggest there’s no immediate move to bench him. Alpine, navigating its own self-made turbulence, appears willing to give the 22-year-old a fair crack at earning a 2026 berth.
Commercially, he’s been a hit since his debut at Zandvoort last year, with sponsors aggressively hitching a ride to the Colapinto bandwagon. But Alpine needs lap time, not logos, and that’s the bit he has to unlock — particularly on Saturdays, where grid position has consistently left him swinging at shadows on Sundays.
So no beaches, no reset button, just data and miles for Colapinto. He’s got the right attitude, and the garage isn’t turning the lights out on him yet. But everyone knows the deal at Alpine right now: promise must meet production. After the break, the clock starts again — and it won’t wait long.
