Franco Colapinto Secures 2026 Alpine F1 Seat Despite Scoreless 2025

Alpine confirms Franco Colapinto for a full 2026 Formula 1 season, retaining him alongside Pierre Gasly despite a point-less 2025. The call prioritizes continuity after a turbulent year.

Colapinto joined Alpine after a Williams stint, initially as 2025 reserve. He took Jack Doohan’s seat after six scoreless rounds, stepping into a difficult competitive environment.

He has yet to score, but qualifying form is encouraging. He outqualifies Gasly five times, with four on merit, and recently finishes within four seconds of Gasly across five races.

Gasly totals 20 points, 13 since Colapinto’s promotion, underlining Alpine’s fluctuating competitiveness. The car’s performance window appears narrow, exposing both drivers when conditions shift.

Crashes twice aside, Colapinto’s execution improves. Alpine values the trajectory more than raw results, betting that cleaner weekends will convert qualifying flashes into points as development lands.

Flavio Briatore backs the decision, citing attributes and long‑term potential. It indicates faith in internal development rather than a reactive switch, despite pressure from reserve Paul Aron’s candidacy.

The risk profile is clear. Two incidents and inexperience carry cost, but recent pace relative to Gasly suggests learning is sticking, especially on tyre management and race execution.

A 2026 rules reset amplifies the logic. With new power unit balance and aero concepts arriving, stable feedback loops matter. Alpine wants consistent correlation while its works programme targets gains.

Gasly provides the benchmark and leadership. His points tally frames expectations for Colapinto, who must translate qualifying peaks into Sunday returns without compromising development mileage.

Colapinto acknowledges the difficulty of staying in Formula 1. He credits Gasly’s influence and welcomes a full season to validate progress under race‑to‑race pressure.

For Alpine, success is measured pragmatically. Regular Q2 and opportunistic Q3 appearances, cleaner Sundays, and consistent points would signal that patience with Colapinto is yielding competitive return.

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Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.