With recurring discussions surrounding his place at Alpine, Franco Colapinto pledges to continue his efforts to improve upon the less-than-stellar results he’s experienced while grappling with a challenging 2025 Formula 1 machine.
The shift from Jack Doohan to Colapinto at Alpine hasn’t yielded the anticipated outcomes for several reasons. After six race weekends marked by various incidents and a lack of points, Doohan’s tenure was cut short following the Miami Grand Prix, and his successor has also failed to secure points despite participating in seven races.
The Argentinian competitor is still seeking a finish better than 13th, and his peak qualifying performance was 12th in Canada – marking the sole occasion he’s outperformed team-mate Pierre Gasly to date. In a similar vein to Doohan, Colapinto is yet to fully master the intricacies of the 2025 Alpine car, particularly in terms of maintaining performance throughout a race.
This can be attributed, in part, to his relative lack of experience, while the Alpine A525’s unpredictable nature and limited optimal performance range are adding to the challenge.
The difficulties with a demanding 2025 car aren’t isolated to the second Alpine seat, as Gasly has also voiced concerns about its handling characteristics. Initial indications from pre-season testing suggested promising intrinsic pace for Alpine, but translating that into tangible results has proven difficult – with Gasly’s seventh-place finish in Bahrain being a notable exception.
Compounding this is the built-in weakness of its power unit, coupled with the advancements made by Sauber, Aston Martin, and Haas in subsequent races, which has further disadvantaged Alpine. This underscores why Gasly’s Q3 appearance in Silverstone was met with such surprise and positivity within the team, and the Frenchman took advantage of a race with varied weather conditions to achieve a remarkable sixth-place finish.
George Russell, Mercedes, Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
“The vehicle is evidently quite complex, making errors easy,” Gasly commented. “I believe that, generally, I am capable of extracting considerable performance during qualifying. Driving it is difficult and not straightforward, and I feel that when pushing to the absolute limit.
“Overall, there’s a lot of sliding, which can sometimes be managed on new tyres to achieve decent performance. However, in race conditions, especially with increased degradation and hotter weather, competitiveness over the entire race distance is lacking.”
Gasly vs Colapinto qualifying head-to-head
| PIERRE GASLY | 5-1 | FRANCO COLAPINTO |
|---|---|---|
| 10 |  Emilia Romagna |
15 (no lap time in Q2 – crash in Q1) |
| 18 |  Monaco |
20 (+0.603s in Q1) |
| 8 |  Spain |
19 (+0.253s in Q1) |
|
20 (+0.433s in Q1) |
 Canada |
12 |
|
10 |
 Austria |
14 (+0.442s in Q2) |
|
10 |
 Great Britain |
20 (+0.732s in Q1 – crash) |
While Gasly can draw upon his experience to recover results, Colapinto has been further behind and found it more challenging than Gasly to adapt to the vehicle, which begins with establishing a comfortable setup early on Fridays. This leaves him with an excessive amount of ground to cover to get near Gasly’s performance by the time qualifying arrives.
Progress has been achieved, most notably in Canada, yet a minor mistake during qualifying for the British Grand Prix resulted in a missed opportunity to confirm whether improvements had been made.
“We must focus on understanding how to achieve performance on Fridays, because we spend too much time attempting to catch up between Friday and Saturday,” Colapinto stated before the Silverstone weekend.
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
“We must endeavour to make the car more predictable. We know what our weaknesses are. The car is fast when operating within its optimal range. However, when outside of that, it becomes quite tricky to handle. Pierre experiences similar issues. Although, having driven the car for three years, he can easily understand its limits.
“We need to continue working together to improve the predictability of the car and make it easier for us to drive. When the temperature rises excessively, the car becomes trickier and more unstable, leading to excessive rear tyre usage. It’s a combination that snowballs in an undesirable direction.”
Reports originating from Argentina, which suggest that Colapinto’s position in the car is secured for the duration of the 2025 season, are inaccurate. Instead, his presence at Alpine remains on a race-by-race arrangement.
While the Argentinian driver is under scrutiny from Flavio Briatore, the de facto team leader, and needs to demonstrate improved performance, several mitigating factors provide some leeway. These include the car’s inherent difficulties, the team’s focus on 2026, and the significant commercial backing he receives from Argentina.
Alpine could opt to rotate drivers, perhaps by giving its other reserve driver, Paul Aron, an opportunity. However, the team’s primary focus should be on resolving the car’s performance and driveability issues before introducing another driver into the equation.
F1 midfield battle in the world constructors’ championship
| Position | Team | Points |
| 5 | Williams | 59 |
| 6 | Sauber | 41 |
| 7 | Racing Bulls | 36 |
| 8 | Aston Martin | 36 |
| 9 | Haas | 29 |
| 10 | Alpine | 19 |
Colapinto remained composed when faced with recurring inquiries regarding his place in Britain, despite the qualifying setback, which did not aid his situation: “I am not particularly concerned. There are discussions, of course. I need to keep working to help the team improve the car.”
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
However, the chances of Alpine drastically improving its situation appear limited due to the Enstone team’s proactive decision to fully concentrate on 2026, which clarifies why its direct midfield competitors outpaced its progress.
“This decision aligns with our overall strategy for the year,” remarked technical director David Sanchez. “We recognize the significant opportunities that 2026 presents. We may not have pursued developments as extensively as some other teams this season. But we’re satisfied with our decision when we observe the evolution and advancement rate of next year’s car.”
Gasly added, “We understand that we opted to focus on 2026 from the beginning of the year, a decision that I fully support. Consequently, we haven’t developed this year’s car as much as some other teams, which has put us slightly at a disadvantage. Hopefully, we’ll reap better rewards next year.”
That also clarifies why replicating a late resurgence similar to 2024, highlighted by a memorable double podium in Brazil, will be more challenging this time around. When asked if he had resigned himself to the team finishing last in the championship, Gasly responded, “Realistically, will we contend for a higher position in the midfield? Yes. Is it achievable? Some may disagree, while others may agree. Last year, we were written off [in the fight for sixth] well before the end of the year, yet we managed to reverse the situation. In my honest opinion, this year presents a slightly different scenario.”
Gasly’s sixth-place finish at Silverstone, which stands as Alpine’s best result so far this season, has provided a glimmer of hope. However, Colapinto acknowledges that considerable work remains for him to be in a similar position to capitalize on such opportunities.
“I believe that comes from gaining experience with the car and understanding exactly what you want and how to maximize performance early in the weekend. That’s where I’m currently lacking, and it’s primarily due to my unfamiliarity with the car,” he noted.
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Photo by: Jayce Illman / Getty Images
“Last year, it was arguably easier for me [at Williams]. But this year, as I struggle with confidence during entries, experiencing instability and a sense of unease, I feel that the car isn’
