Jonas LeoThe 2025 Formula 1 season at Alpine was characterized by decisive and, at times, brutal driver management, echoing the storied history of team principal Flavio Briatore. As the dust settled on a challenging campaign for the Enstone-based squad, it was Franco Colapinto, the Argentinian talent, who emerged victorious in the internal battle for a coveted 2026 race seat, a decision shaped by both performance on track and commercial considerations.
The season began with Jack Doohan, a highly-regarded product of the Alpine Academy, occupying the second seat alongside the experienced Pierre Gasly. Doohan, son of five-time motorcycle Grand Prix world champion Mick Doohan, carried significant expectations into his rookie year, following a promising junior career in Formula 2 where he secured multiple victories and demonstrated raw speed. Alpine, under the renewed stewardship of Briatore, had entrusted him with the opportunity to prove his mettle at the pinnacle of motorsport.
However, Doohan’s tenure proved to be short-lived and turbulent. While initially showing flashes of potential and reportedly beginning to narrow the gap to Gasly on one-lap pace, his rookie season was marred by a series of high-profile incidents. The most notable of these was a high-speed crash at Suzuka, an error that underscored the unforgiving nature of Formula 1. These "brace of incidents," as described by the team, ultimately sealed his fate. After just six rounds, following the Miami Grand Prix, Briatore made a swift and uncompromising decision: Doohan was demoted to a reserve role. This move, while harsh, was characteristic of Briatore’s management style, known for its focus on immediate results and intolerance for consistent errors, particularly within a team striving to climb the grid. Doohan’s demotion effectively put his Formula 1 aspirations on hold, with the Australian now expected to seek opportunities in Super Formula in 2026, a path often taken by drivers looking to recalibrate and gain further experience in high-performance machinery.
The stage was thus set for Franco Colapinto’s unexpected promotion. Colapinto, who had joined Alpine as part of a suite of reserve drivers during the off-season, brought a different profile to the team. A former Williams Academy driver, Colapinto had competed in Formula 3 and Formula 2, showcasing his abilities with race wins and consistent performances. His career trajectory, while solid, had not initially positioned him as an immediate F1 contender. Crucially, Colapinto also arrived with significant backing from South American sponsors, a factor that is increasingly vital in the competitive landscape of Formula 1. In a sport where financial viability often intertwines with raw talent, the commercial leverage offered by such sponsorship can be a significant differentiator, particularly for midfield teams like Alpine. This financial aspect, while not a slight against Colapinto’s driving ability, undeniably played a role in the context of Doohan’s shorter leash and Colapinto’s subsequent opportunity.
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Stepping into an F1 car mid-season is arguably one of the most demanding challenges for any driver, let alone a rookie. For Colapinto, who celebrated his 23rd birthday in May, the promotion was a trial by fire. He was immediately thrust into the cockpit of the Alpine A525, a car that proved to be notoriously "recalcitrant" throughout the 2025 season. The A525 was widely regarded as a difficult machine, lacking consistent pace, unpredictable in its handling, and often outside the narrow operating window required for optimal performance. Even the highly experienced Pierre Gasly, a race winner and established F1 veteran, openly struggled to extract consistent performance from the car, serving as a stark benchmark for the A525’s inherent challenges. Colapinto, having been accustomed to the different driving characteristics of the Williams machinery in his previous testing and simulator work, faced a steep learning curve to adapt to the idiosyncratic demands of the Enstone-designed chassis.
His initial performances reflected these difficulties. The pressure intensified when, mid-season, Flavio Briatore issued a public admonishment regarding Colapinto’s progress. Such a public critique from a figure of Briatore’s stature underscores the intense scrutiny and high expectations placed upon Alpine’s drivers. Despite these challenging circumstances and a series of "rough moments," as visually captured and widely reported, Colapinto displayed commendable resilience. He gradually began to chip away at the performance gap to Gasly, demonstrating a growing understanding of the A525 and an improving ability to manage its complexities. This incremental progress, rather than spectacular point-scoring results, became the crucial metric for his future at the team.
Statistically, Colapinto’s 2025 season concluded without points, a reflection of both his rookie status and Alpine’s overall competitive struggles. He was comprehensively outqualified by Gasly, with a 17-5 head-to-head record over the course of his partial season. However, these figures must be viewed within the broader strategic context of Alpine’s 2025 campaign. The team made an early decision to halt significant development on the A525, becoming one of the first on the grid to fully shift its focus and resources towards the radically new regulations and car design for 2026. This strategic pivot meant that as the season progressed, other teams continued to bring upgrades, leaving the A525 relatively stagnant and increasingly uncompetitive.
Colapinto himself acknowledged the frustrations of the season: "It’s disappointing," he reflected on his point-less campaign. "It’s sometimes tricky to keep the motivation, but I’m quite happy that the team kept pushing all the way until the end. We tried our best, but we just didn’t really have the pace." He elaborated on the impact of the development freeze: "Towards the end it was worse because everyone kept bringing some upgrades and we couldn’t really work the car anymore." Despite the bleak present, his gaze was firmly fixed on the future: "But next year should be a much better one and I’m excited for that one."
Looking ahead to 2026, Alpine is poised for a significant transformation. The team will transition from its long-standing Renault power units to Mercedes customer engines, a move that is anticipated to provide a substantial boost in performance, reliability, and potentially, a more consistent platform for development. This shift, coupled with the new technical regulations, represents a fresh start and a renewed ambition for Alpine to establish itself as a competitive midfield force. The value of its second seat is expected to increase considerably as the team aims for consistent points finishes and a higher championship standing.
For Franco Colapinto, the confirmed 2026 drive presents both a momentous opportunity and an immediate challenge. Having secured his place, he will need to build significantly on the progress made in the latter half of 2025. The expectations will be higher, with a better car and a clearer focus on performance from the team. Colapinto will need to demonstrate that his securing of the seat was based on a trajectory of improving performance, rather than solely on external factors. He must not only close the qualifying and race pace gap to Pierre Gasly but also consistently convert his potential into tangible points. The unpredictable nature of Flavio Briatore means that continuous, rapid progression will be paramount, as the veteran team principal is unlikely to tolerate any complacency or stagnation in performance. Colapinto’s long-term future in Formula 1 now hinges on his ability to make that second Alpine seat definitively his own.
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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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