Alpine backs the climb: Why Colapinto’s won a 2026 stay
Alpine’s week at Interlagos started with a clear call: Franco Colapinto keeps the second seat for 2026. It’s a vote of confidence after a rough, stop-start year that’s had the 21-year-old Argentine on the ropes early and swinging back by mid-season.
Steve Nielsen, Alpine’s managing director, framed it simply: compare him to Pierre Gasly. That’s the only scoreboard that matters inside Enstone, and after a shaky arrival, Colapinto’s trend line moved the right way.
“It’s pretty difficult for any of the new drivers coming in,” Nielsen told Sky. “Franco obviously did some races with Williams last year, substituted for Jack from Imola, and struggled a bit to start with, to be honest. Then, gradually… we’re lucky to have Pierre as a kind of marker… Franco was able to up his game and take the fight to Pierre… he started doing a reasonable job and became comparable to Pierre; even quicker than Pierre on a few occasions. So ultimately, that’s what got him the seat.”
The context matters. Colapinto was parachuted in after Miami to replace Jack Doohan with little warning and even less mileage. His first time in Alpine’s A525 was at Imola practice, not in a pre-season test environment where rookies learn their new office. Across 14 races, he hasn’t scored; Gasly’s banked 20 points. On paper, that looks harsh. In the garage, they’ve been watching the deltas shrink and the data get cleaner. The kid stopped bleeding time to a very competent benchmark. That’s the part teams tend to reward.
None of this happened in a vacuum. Alpine looked everywhere. Reserve Paul Aron was linked. External names hovered. Nielsen didn’t deny it. “To be honest, we had everybody on the table… Gradually, gradually, we iterated towards choosing Franco. We’re happy with that.”
There’s also the other equation you can’t pretend doesn’t exist in 2025: money and marketability. Colapinto’s arrival kicked open a door to South American partners, notably a deal with Mercado Livre, and the team leaned into it across Austin, Mexico and now Brazil. Nielsen didn’t flinch at the suggestion that it helped: “You can’t ignore the financials. Of course, it plays a part in it. But, ultimately, we’ve got Franco on talent, and the fact that he brings a financial side is a happy accident.”
Even rivals are nodding along. Williams boss James Vowles, who ran Colapinto during his eye-catching sub outings last year, sounded genuinely pleased. “I’m really proud of what he’s done – certainly over the last, let’s say, seven races,” he said in the FIA press conference. “He’s showing the world the performance I saw when he was with Williams. I think he’s earned that seat for next year… He’s got such a huge following… about 50,000 incredibly passionate Argentinians. The sport is in a health it’s never been in before, and Franco has this huge following. So I think he’s done it on performance. He also does it on what the sport’s getting out of it at the same time.”
Interlagos made that point in surround sound. The blue-and-white flags turned the paddock into a traveling barrio, and Alpine, to its credit, has learned to surf that wave rather than be drowned by the noise that comes with it.
Inside the team, Flavio Briatore’s read is as pragmatic as you’d expect from a serial taskmaster. “I have always believed that he has the right attributes and potential to be a top driver who can grow with the team,” Alpine’s executive advisor said. “It has been a tough year for the whole team… however, both Franco and Pierre have done their best to help put the team in the best possible position for next season. With the line-up of Pierre and Franco, we have a good blend of experience, speed, and talent.”
There’s a reason this makes sense beyond sentiment. Continuity matters when you’re trying to climb out of the midfield, and Alpine has needed something to hold onto in a season that’s offered precious few anchors. Colapinto’s biggest deficit this year wasn’t raw speed so much as time: time in the simulator tied to his car, time with his engineers, time to turn “don’t crash” into “how do we extract two tenths in low-speed.” Give a driver a winter, a proper program and a stable reference in Gasly, and you can justify the bet.
Is it a risk? Of course. Zero points alongside a known scorer is never a slam-dunk résumé. But if you’re picking from a pool where nobody screams guaranteed upgrade, you go with the direction of travel. Alpine’s numbers say Colapinto’s moving forward. The sponsors say he’s good for business. The paddock says he’s got the temperament. That combination tends to get you a second year.
Now it’s on him to make sure the story stops being about potential and starts being about points. He’s earned the breathing room. Next, he has to make it count.
