‘Really proud’ Vowles says Colapinto 'earned' new Alpine deal

Williams team principal James Vowles has expressed his pride in seeing Franco Colapinto secure his first full season in Formula 1 with Alpine.

The young Argentine made his F1 debut with Williams last year, at Vowles behest, before moving to Alpine over the winter, initially as the Enstone squad’s reserve driver.

But Jack Doohan’s underperformance with the French team in the first six races of the season compelled Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore to slot Colapinto into the Australian driver’s seat from the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Since that change, the 22-year-old remains the only driver on the grid to have not scored a single top ten finish, which led many to suggest that he only owed his 2026 drive to his commercial appeal and sponsorship backing, a notion Alpine has strongly denied.

Vowles, who guided Colapinto through his debut races for Williams, also disagrees with that assumption and insists he’s “really proud” of his former protégé’s progress and hard work.

A Big Turnaround

“I'm really proud of what he's done – certainly over the last, let's say, seven races. It’s a big turnaround for me. He's showing the world the performance I saw when he was with Williams.

“I think he's earned that seat for next year, and I was incredibly proud of him when they announced it.”

Vowles also highlighted the driver’s massive fan following, which he sees as a positive for the sport.

“He's got such a huge following. On the way in here [to the Sao Paulo Grand Prix] – and I'm really not exaggerating – it took half an hour because there's about 50,000 incredibly passionate Argentinians, and that’s what I like to see,” the Williams chief added.

• Read also: Alpine insists Colapinto 2026 seat secured by talent, not cash

“The sport is in a health it’s never been in before, and Franco has this huge following. So I think he's done it on performance; he also does it on what the sport's getting out of it as well at the same time. I think he's got a bright future – it's for him to keep earning it year on year.”

Next season, Colapinto will continue alongside Pierre Gasly, who has also signed a contract extension with Alpine through at least 2028. The Enstone-based team will also switch to Mercedes power units in 2026, marking a significant step in its long-term plans.

Brundle: ‘Colapinto reminds me of Senna’

Speaking on Sky Sports F1 ahead of last weekend’s Brazilian Grand Prix, Martin Brundle reflected on what lies ahead for Colapinto.

“This is his chance, isn’t it?” said Brundle. “He can get his head down, stop thinking about that and prove himself. Every time I see him, I think of Ayrton Senna – just the way he looks – but he’s got a long way to go to emulate that great man.”

With Vowles’ praise and Brundle’s encouragement, all eyes will be on Colapinto as he enters 2026 fully equipped to prove his place on the Formula 1 grid.

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