Follow us on Google Discover Alpine control one of the final four remaining vacancies on the 2026 F1 grid, with the Enstone team yet to announce whether Franco Colapinto will continue beyond 2025.
The 22-year-old has occupied the second A525 alongside Pierre Gasly since F1 visited Imola for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May. But while Colapinto survived his initial five-round deal to replace Jack Doohan, Alpine are yet to commit to giving the Argentine a full contract.
Colapinto is also yet to earn a point since he replaced Doohan at Alpine from round seven of this season’s 24. His best result through 14 outings for the Renault-owned team so far is P11 in August’s Dutch Grand Prix. Colapinto has not finished higher than P16 since the Dutch GP.
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Despite Colapinto’s lack of points or strong results, Juan Pablo Montoya believes Alpine have already decided to retain the Buenos Aires native for the 2026 F1 season. Montoya feels the Enstone natives gave it away by running a modified livery during the rounds in the Americas.
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Alpine unveiled a special livery for the races in America, Mexico and Brazil during rounds 19, 20 and 21 of this year’s 24. The changes were predominantly minor except for the increased presence of Colapinto’s direct sponsor, Mercado Libre, on the rear wing and rear bodywork.
“I haven’t really paid much attention to it,” Montoya told AS about reports suggesting Alpine will re-sign Colapinto for the 2026 F1 season. “But when I saw the car, I said ‘That’s done’.”
Montoya added: “One of the reasons that Colapinto made it to Formula 1 was that people came together. The Argentines united to support him, Mercado Libre and Globant, the two of them got fully involved in supporting each other and fully supporting Colapinto.
“That’s what made the difference in him getting into Formula 1. That’s the reality.”
Alpine’s normal livery features a pink ‘A’ to reference the brand’s logo on the rear bodywork of the car and the word ‘Alpine’ on the underside of the rear wing. Yet Alpine replaced them with yellow Mercado Libre logos from the United States Grand Prix at COTA in Austin, Texas.
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Mercado Libre’s increased presence remained for the Mexico City Grand Prix, and will be on Gasly and Colapinto’s Alpines for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on November 7-9. The Argentine ecommerce brand joined Alpine as a sponsor this February after the team signed Colapinto.
It has also long been reported that the only reason why Alpine have kept Colapinto is due to his £15m sponsorship package, despite his want of points. But his performances, along with his sponsors, are now expected to see Alpine keep the Argentine for at least another season.
Reports suggest that Colapinto’s qualifying upturn has convinced Alpine to retain him for the 2026 term and help Gasly lead the Enstone squad into a new era. As well as the introduction of the latest F1 regulations era, Alpine will become a Mercedes engine customer from 2026.