Jonas Leo
Steve Nielsen, Alpine’s managing director, has emphasized the necessity for Franco Colapinto to be afforded sufficient time to "mature and deliver points" in Formula 1, as the Argentine driver prepares for his inaugural full season with the Enstone-based outfit in 2026. Nielsen’s comments, made at the close of a challenging 2025 campaign for Alpine, underscore the team’s commitment to nurturing young talent despite immediate performance pressures.
Colapinto’s journey to a full-time F1 seat has been marked by a rapid ascent and a challenging initiation. His Formula 1 debut arrived unexpectedly midway through the 2024 season, when he stepped into Logan Sargeant’s car at Williams. This opportunity, which saw him replace the American driver who had struggled to consistently extract performance from the FW46, offered an immediate glimpse into Colapinto’s potential. Demonstrating impressive adaptability, the then 21-year-old quickly found pace, notably reaching Q3 in only his second Grand Prix in Azerbaijan. This performance was swiftly followed by his first championship points in the same race, a significant achievement for a rookie. He continued to build on this momentum, securing an SQ3 appearance in Austin and another top-10 finish at the United States Grand Prix later that same weekend, marking a notable impact in his brief stint with Williams.
However, the 2025 season presented a different narrative for Colapinto. Following his promotion from reserve driver to a full race seat at Alpine, replacing Jack Doohan from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May, the Argentine found himself in a considerably more difficult operational environment. Despite the promise shown in 2024, Colapinto concluded the 2025 season without registering a single point for Alpine. This outcome, however, must be contextualized within the broader struggles of the French team, which endured a deeply challenging year, ultimately finishing last in the constructors’ championship with a meager 22 points. The A525 proved uncompetitive, often leaving both its drivers battling at the rear of the grid.
Despite the lack of points in 2025, Alpine has renewed its faith in the 22-year-old for the upcoming 2026 season. This decision will provide Colapinto with his first opportunity to contest a full Formula 1 season from its outset, including a comprehensive pre-season testing schedule. This stability and dedicated preparation time are critical for a young driver to integrate fully with a team and adapt to the intricacies of top-tier motorsport. Nielsen, speaking at the Abu Dhabi season finale, articulated the team’s perspective on Colapinto’s development.
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"Franco is a young driver. We’ve seen other young drivers go through good and difficult periods – he’s on that journey," Nielsen stated, acknowledging the inherent challenges faced by newcomers to the pinnacle of motorsport. He drew parallels with the developmental paths of other drivers on the grid, implicitly recognizing that immediate, consistent scoring is not always feasible, especially within a struggling team.
Nielsen highlighted specific instances during the 2025 campaign where Colapinto demonstrated his underlying speed. "There were races earlier in the year when he was a match for Pierre, and on a couple of occasions maybe even faster than Pierre in the races," Nielsen remarked, referring to his experienced teammate, Pierre Gasly. This assessment indicates that Colapinto possessed the raw speed to compete with a Grand Prix winner, even if the overall package limited his ability to convert that pace into championship points. "He’s on that journey, and we’ll give him all the support he needs to be as quick as he can be, whether that’s faster than Pierre or close to Pierre."
The Alpine managing director underscored the strategic importance of having two competitive drivers contributing to the team’s points tally. "The important thing for us is to have two drivers scoring in the championship. We’ve suffered a bit this year: only one car scored points, and not enough with that one either, while the other car scored zero points with two different drivers in it." This statement refers to Gasly being the primary, and often sole, points scorer for Alpine in 2025, while the second car, shared between Doohan and Colapinto, failed to register any. This imbalance significantly hampered Alpine’s standing in the constructors’ championship, which is crucial for financial revenue and team morale. "We need stability in the second car, and we need to give time for that talent to mature and deliver points for us. You need two drivers."
Alpine’s operational strategy significantly impacted its 2025 performance. The team made the crucial decision to halt the development of its A525 challenger early in the season, diverting resources and focus towards the fundamental changes introduced by the new 2026 technical regulations. While this long-term strategic play aimed at a stronger future, it left both Gasly and Colapinto with a car that rapidly fell behind rivals who continued to introduce performance updates throughout the year. This strategic sacrifice meant that in the latter part of the season, both drivers were frequently relegated to battles at the back of the field, far removed from points-scoring positions. The team’s struggles were starkly evident in the statistics, with Alpine scoring points in only one race – the Brazilian Grand Prix – across the final 11 events of the season.
Nielsen did not shy away from acknowledging the severe limitations of the 2025 car when questioned about Colapinto’s individual performance. "I think the brutal reality is that our car was not fast enough to score points," he asserted. This candid assessment removes a significant burden of responsibility from the drivers, including Colapinto, and redirects focus to the engineering and aerodynamic shortcomings of the A525. "I think both drivers we have now are better than the car."
He further elaborated on the rare occasions when the car demonstrated a flicker of competitiveness. "On the few occasions when the car has been good enough to fight around the points, we had one in Brazil, where Pierre qualified reasonably well and raced reasonably well, and another in Vegas where we were okay." These isolated instances provided a glimpse of what the drivers could achieve when the machinery offered a window of opportunity. "When the car is good, both drivers are more than capable of delivering what the car allows. We need to make a much better car, a much better car, and then we’ll see if the drivers are capable of going with it."
The narrative for Alpine in 2026, therefore, is multifaceted. It involves providing Colapinto with the necessary support and a competitive environment to fulfill his potential, while simultaneously delivering a significantly improved car under the new regulations. The strategic gamble of sacrificing 2025 for 2026 will be put to the test, and the performance of both Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly will be a key indicator of whether that gamble pays off for the French constructor. The coming season represents a fresh start, not just for Colapinto in his first full F1 campaign, but for Alpine as it aims to rebound from a disappointing year and re-establish itself as a competitive force in Formula 1.
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Author Profile
- Jonas Leo is a passionate motorsport journalist and lifelong Formula 1 enthusiast. With a sharp eye for race strategy and driver performance, he brings readers closer to the world of Grand Prix racing through in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive paddock insights. Jonas has covered everything from preseason testing to dramatic title deciders, capturing the emotion and precision that define modern F1. When he’s not tracking lap times or pit stop tactics, he enjoys exploring classic racing archives and writing about the evolution of F1 technology.
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