Daily News 19

Tag: Flavio Briatore

  • Analysis: Why Franco Colapinto Was Rewarded with an Alpine Contract Extension

    Analysis: Why Franco Colapinto Was Rewarded with an Alpine Contract Extension

    Franco Colapinto has secured a contract extension with Alpine Formula 1 Team, locking in his race seat for the 2027 season alongside teammate Pierre Gasly. The announcement rewards the Argentine driver’s significant step forward in performance during the 2026 campaign.

    From Reserve to Race Leader

    Colapinto joined Alpine as a reserve driver in 2025 following a strong nine-race debut with Williams at the tail end of 2024, where he replaced Logan Sargeant. He was promoted to a race seat early in the 2025 season after Jack Doohan’s departure, ultimately fending off a challenge from reserve driver Paul Aron to retain the drive for 2026.

    Turning Point in 2026

    The 23-year-old’s early season form was inconsistent. Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore stated at the time that he felt Colapinto was “lost” before finding himself and his form and maturing into a “different” driver later in the season.

    That maturity translated into results. Colapinto has scored points in six of the first 12 Grands Prix of 2026, with a season-high finish of sixth place in Montreal. Combined with Gasly’s continued high performance — the Frenchman is under contract until at least the end of 2028 — Alpine sits sixth in the Constructors’ Championship, meeting the minimum target Briatore set for the year.

    Stability for a Rebuilding Project

    Alpine evaluated other options but was ultimately convinced by Colapinto’s improved on-track pace, growing maturity, and tenacity. His strong working relationship with Gasly fosters team harmony, while his rapport with Briatore and the wider engineering group has deepened.

    Commercial factors also played a role. Colapinto brings significant financial backing and a massive South American fanbase, enhancing the team’s sponsor appeal in the region. This all-round package led to the decision, with the driver believed to have been informed during the Dutch Grand Prix weekend at Zandvoort.

    Focus Shifts to 2027 Ambitions

    With the driver lineup settled early, Alpine can concentrate fully on its primary challenge: closing the performance gap to the frontrunners. The team remains in a rebuilding phase, and lineup stability is seen as critical to accelerating development.

    The early renewal also removes contract uncertainty for Colapinto, allowing him to focus on maximizing results over the remainder of 2026. Alpine is currently battling for fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship, a position the team believes is achievable by season’s end.

    That momentum would set up 2027 — when the squad will be rebranded as the Gucci Racing Alpine Formula One Team — with ambitions to significantly reduce the deficit to the top teams.

    Williams Door Closed

    Speculation linked Colapinto with a return to Williams, the team where he made his F1 debut. However, the British outfit has retained Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon for 2027, making Alpine the most logical and, ultimately, the only viable landing spot.

    Colapinto is reportedly very happy within the Alpine structure. Having failed to score in 2025, he absorbed the pressure to deliver in 2026 with impressive resilience. The challenge now is to maintain his upward trajectory and return to consistent points finishes for the rest of the season.

  • Franco Colapinto Secures New Alpine Deal for 2027 F1 Season

    Franco Colapinto Secures New Alpine Deal for 2027 F1 Season

    Alpine Retains Franco Colapinto for 2027 Formula 1 Season

    Alpine has confirmed Franco Colapinto will remain with the team for the 2027 Formula 1 season, extending the Argentine driver’s stay for a second full-time campaign.

    The 23-year-old will continue alongside Alpine lead driver Pierre Gasly, who has been Colapinto’s team-mate since the Argentine joined the French team at the seventh round of the 2025 season.

    Colapinto entered the 2026 season under pressure to impress Alpine executive Flavio Briatore after an inconsistent 2025 campaign. He responded with more reliable performances in Alpine’s significantly improved car, scoring 19 points compared with Gasly’s 44.

    His best Formula 1 result came in Montreal, where he finished sixth. After 12 rounds of the current season, Colapinto sits 12th in the drivers’ championship.

    “I am very pleased to remain with this team in 2027,” he said. “I feel very happy and very settled here and it’s been even better that we have made significant progress this year compared to last. We have a lot more milestones to reach and I know the team is working so hard in finding performance and making the car better and better.

    “Our long-term goals are obvious – to compete and win – and I am grateful to the team, Flavio [Briatore] and Steve [Nielsen], for the trust placed in me to be one of its drivers going into the future. I’m looking forward to seeing how everything plays out and focusing on my job on-track first and foremost.”

    Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Pierre Gasly, Alpine. Photo by: Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

    Colapinto earns long-term Alpine opportunity

    Colapinto made his Formula 1 debut with Williams in 2024, completing a nine-race stint after replacing Logan Sargeant. Alpine signed him for 2025 as part of a group of reserve drivers supporting Gasly and rookie Jack Doohan.

    However, Doohan was replaced by Colapinto after the Miami Grand Prix. Colapinto initially struggled to deliver significantly stronger results than the Australian as Alpine dropped towards the back of the field.

    His promising underlying pace, combined with strong backing from Argentine sponsors, helped him retain his race seat for the 2026 season.

    “We are very happy to confirm our driver line-up for 2027 with Franco staying as a race driver alongside Pierre,” Briatore said. “For me, having consistency is very important. We are now settled from a driver point of view and I have said many times that, while this is an important piece of the puzzle, the most significant we have to get right is designing and building a fast race car which absolutely remains our number one priority.

    “We have seen Franco truly grow and mature into a great driver this year. His results in Miami and Montréal especially confirmed what I already knew: Franco belongs in Formula 1 and he belongs at this team. I expect both Franco, and Pierre, to continue doing a fantastic job on track and for the entire team to push relentlessly until we are fighting, and winning, at the front end of this sport.”