Alpine F1 team signs Williams driver Franco Colapinto as their reserve driver for the 2025 Formula 1 season. He will back Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan this year, but more than that he will be a big threat for the Australian driver who could potentially be replaced by the Argentinian mid of the season if he doesn’t bring the expected points.
Alpine signs Colapinto for 2025
There were already speculations regarding Jack’s contract as some clauses say he will only be driving for the first 6 races of the season and if he doesn't meet the team's expectations then he will be removed and replaced. Franco could be the driver who will replace Doohan as he proved himself last year with his driving talent.
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Besides several big crashes, Colapinto was never out of form as he showed immense fighting spirit and hunger for winning. He already has a big fan base in Argentina after Messi and fans come to see him wherever he goes during the races.
Because of him, Jack Doohan's future in the Alpine team is in big danger, and he should use all his racing talent to save his driver's seat. Signing Franco Colapinto as a reserve driver also confirms that Doohan has only a short-term contract, not a long-term one.
The 2025 season’s opening rounds will be crucial for Doohan starting from his home country Australia which hosts the first race of the year on March 14. This season will also be the final era of the turbo hybrids as next year the regulations change with new fully flex fuels used in F1 cars.
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Alpine will also be using Mercedes engines for the 2026 season and after that, they plan to bring back their factory-made engines for the 2027 season. So rookie drivers like Doohan, Bortoleto, Hadjar, Bearman, and Antonelli need to make an impression this year to move to the new era of Formula 1.
Flavio Briatore the Alpine F1 team's Chief advisor said “We are pleased to agree with Williams Racing to sign Franco Colapinto. Clearly, Franco is among the best young talents in motorsports right now. It is fair to say his appearance on the Formula 1 grid last year caught many, me included, by surprise and his performances have been very impressive for a rookie driver.”
Williams Racing also announced that they agreed with Alpine to release Franco to race for the French manufacturer over a multi-year deal starting in 2025. They also appreciated Franco’s efforts in the nine races he raced for a team coming as a replacement driver for Logan Sargeant.
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