Franco Colapinto’s job at stake as Alpine plans to bring former F1 race winner for 2026

Argentine Formula 1 driver Franco Colapinto was just announced as Jack Doohan's replacement two days ago. Now, they are having talks with former Red Bull driver and six-time Formula 1 race winner Sergio Perez for the 2026 driver seat. 

The French Formula 1 team felt Doohan was underperforming when compared with Pierre Gasly and wanted to bring a new driver, according to their driver rotation policy. Franco Colapinto was signed as the reserve driver for the Alpine team earlier this year.  

Doohan didn't bring any points in all six races, and he crashed his car multiple times, costing the team some million dollars. Now, Colapinto is promoted as the new driver for the next five races. Franco drove for the Williams Racing team last year and impressed everyone. He will look to repeat the same this year, and the Alpine F1 team is desperate for points as they are standing ninth in the F1 2025 championship table. 

Also Read: George Russell upset with Claire Williams for not allowing him to join Mercedes.

Alpine wants more experience in 2026

But it seems like his job is also at risk as the Alpine F1 team is looking beyond the 2025 season. They are now setting their sights on a more experienced Sergio Perez, who is not even racing this season. The Mexican driver was a former Red Bull driver, and after last year’s underperformance, he was replaced with junior driver Liam Lawson.

Also Read: Former Alpine boss Oliver Oakes in trouble as brother arrested with criminal charges

Perez was also in talks with the Cadillac F1 team, which is an all-American team owned by GM. The six-time F1 race winner has all the experience and track record of leading underdog teams. Till now, Colapinto has no guarantee that he can drive next year unless he performs well for the team in the next five races.  

The Alpine F1 team will be using Mercedes powertrains next year, and they are rumoured to be the most powerful engines as per the 2026 regulations. Cadillac F1 will be using Ferrari engines, which, according to reports, are far behind in development. If Alpine is ready to give a good package and power unit, we may see the Mexican back in a pink suit from next year.

Also Read: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen spotted testing Ferrari at Nurburgring under a fake name