Alpine keeps faith with Colapinto as 2027 line-up takes shape

Alpine has put an end to any lingering uncertainty over its 2027 driver line-up, confirming that Franco Colapinto will remain with the French team for another Formula 1 season.

The announcement comes as little surprise given the Argentine’s upward trajectory this year, but it nevertheless represents an important vote of confidence from Alpine after a difficult start to Colapinto’s career with the Enstone-based outfit.

With Pierre Gasly already committed to Alpine through at least 2028, the decision means the team will head into 2027 with an unchanged driver pairing – giving it the continuity it believes can help accelerate its ambitions of returning to the sharp end of the grid.

“I am very pleased to remain with this team in 2027,” Colapinto 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.”

Colapinto turning promise into results

The Argentine has given Alpine plenty of reasons to maintain its faith in him during a significantly more productive 2026 campaign.

Colapinto has collected 19 points so far this season and currently occupies 12th in the drivers’ standings, with a sixth-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix marking the best result of his F1 career.

His contribution, combined with Gasly’s 44 points, has helped Alpine establish itself in sixth place in the Constructors’ championship on 63 points, just three behind Racing Bulls.

That represents a considerable step forward from Colapinto’s first full campaign with Alpine. After replacing Jack Doohan seven races into the 2025 season, the Argentine endured a frustrating spell in which he failed to score a single point.

But Alpine saw enough in the driver who had already impressed during his nine-race stint with Williams at the end of 2024 to keep backing him.

That patience is now beginning to pay off.

Briatore sees a driver ready to grow with Alpine

For Flavio Briatore, Colapinto’s development has been one of the clearest positives of Alpine’s season – and the team’s executive director believes the Argentine has now demonstrated that he deserves his place in Formula 1.

“We are very happy to confirm our driver line-up for 2027 with Franco staying as a race driver alongside Pierre,” said the Italian.

“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.

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“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.”

The message from Briatore is therefore clear: Alpine is no longer viewing Colapinto as a driver whose potential needs to be assessed. He is now part of the team's longer-term plan.

Colapinto’s F1 journey began with an unexpected opportunity at Williams, where he replaced Logan Sargeant and immediately made an impression by scoring five points during his brief 2024 campaign.

His move to Alpine initially proved considerably tougher, but the team’s decision to stand by him has been rewarded with a markedly stronger 2026 season.

Now, with his future secured for another year, Colapinto has the opportunity to turn that progress into something even bigger – and to help Alpine pursue the ambitious target Briatore has set: fighting, and ultimately winning, at the front.

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