Speculation over Franco Colapinto’s future with Williams has intensified with the Argentinian driver closely linked with a switch to Alpine in 2025.
Colapinto drove in the final nine races of the 2024 season for Williams, replacing Logan Sargeant on the grid from the Italian Grand Prix onwards.
The 21-year-old accumulated five points, four more than Sargeant managed in a season and a half, but Colapinto’s prospects of a long-term drive at Williams were always going to be restricted after the Oxfordshire constructor signed Carlos Sainz to partner Alex Albon from 2025 onwards.
A social media post by Colapinto’s father, Anibal, since deleted, has only increased the speculation surrounding Alpine’s F1 2025 driver lineup.
Using Instagram’s story function, which allows users to post images and videos for a 24-hour timespan, Mr Colapinto recently posted an image of himself wearing a Williams F1 t-shirt and raising a glass alongside a group of friends.
The image was accompanied by a short caption, which read: “There are few of us who already know everything . . . F1 2025.”
Jack Doohan will still start the season as Pierre Gasly’s team-mate for Alpine, however the Argentine is rumored to be seen as a backup plan in case Doohan doesn’t deliver early on.
Alpine’s interest in Colapinto was thought to have cooled when the rookie driver endured a tougher end-of-season run with heavy crashes in Brazil, in qualifying and during a safety car in the race, and Las Vegas qualifying.
However, Alpine adviser Flavio Briatore is a long-term admirer of Colapinto and told German publication Auto Motor und Sport: “I’m interested in any driver who is fast.
“If there was an opportunity to get Colapinto for 2026, you have to think about it.”
Briatore also played down fears that Doohan, whose contract is rumoured to contain a provision allowing Alpine to replace him after only a few races if he does not meet certain performance criteria, would be replaced before the start of the season.
Asked if Doohan and Gasly would both still be in place in Australia, he told Le Parisien: “The only thing we can be sure of is death!
“We’ll start the year with Pierre and Jack, I can guarantee that. After that, we’ll see as the season progresses.
“I have to get the team in the right condition to get results and the driver is the one who has to conclude the work of nearly 1,000 people behind him. Everyone works for just two people.
“If there’s a driver who isn’t making progress, who isn’t bringing me results, I change him. You can’t be emotional in F1.”
