Franco Colapinto has emerged as one of the biggest disappointments of the 2025 Formula 1 season, with Alpine interim team boss Flavio Briatore hinting that the young Argentine’s days on the grid are numbered.
Briatore made the ruthless call earlier this year to axe Jack Doohan after just a handful of races, fast-tracking Colapinto into Alpine’s second seat. The hope was that the 22-year-old could repeat the flashes of brilliance he showed when he replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams last season, a stint where his raw speed turned heads but also destroyed the team’s repair budget in the run-in to Abu Dhabi.
Colapinto has not delivered on that early promise. Speaking during the Dutch Grand Prix team principals’ press conference, Briatore admitted the gamble has failed to pay off: “I think I’ve already seen everything I need to. For this driver, it’s very hard to cope with this car.
"These cars are very heavy, very quick, and for a young driver maybe it wasn’t the right timing for Franco to enter Formula 1. Perhaps he needs another year or two before being part of F1. In the end, what matters are the results. He tries very hard, he works closely with the engineers, but it’s not what I expect from Colapinto.”
The comments leave little doubt that Alpine will be looking elsewhere for 2026. Briatore, who once again pulled no punches, effectively confirmed that Colapinto is not in his long-term plans.
Gasly the cornerstone of Alpine F1 future
If Colapinto’s future looks bleak, Pierre Gasly’s is assured. Briatore was emphatic when asked if the Frenchman was Alpine’s leader going forward: “Yes. Absolutely. He’s good, he’s consistent, he’s a team player. We need some stability in the team, and Pierre is a cornerstone for the future.”
Beyond the driver line-up, Briatore sought to underline Renault’s continued commitment to its Formula 1 project under new CEO François Provost: “The new CEO of Renault is not really new he was number two to Luca de Meo.
"He is very enthusiastic about the Formula 1 programme. Renault wants to stay in Formula 1. The chairman, Jean-Dominique Senard, is very supportive,” Briatore revealed.
However, he acknowledged Alpine has made costly mistakes in 2025: “We put a lot of effort into the 2026 car, but it’s not easy to interpret the rules. Maybe we made a mistake by not introducing updates from the beginning of the season, and now we are paying for that.
"At the moment, two or three tenths can mean ten or fifteen positions. We also know we have a big handicap with the engine," added Briatore. Whatever the case, for Colapinto, the writing appears to be on the wall.
Latest News
Loading
