Historically, contracts in Formula 1 have always provided certainty – or at least relative clarity – about who drivers will race with.
Over the last few years, however, there has been a sharp rise in mid-season swaps and surprises.
Red Bull have switched drivers on a regular basis in the last eighteen months, both at the first team and at VCARB.
Of course, due to Red Bull’s unique ownership of two teams, they are traditionally most likely to trigger mid-season changes.
With that said, other teams (such as Williams and Alpine) have also replaced drivers mid-season in the last twelve months.
Because of this, Franco Colapinto’s position at Alpine is understandably being questioned. What remains to be seen is whether these doubts are well-founded.
Where Colapinto stands in Alpine’s driver plans
It is logical that Colapinto has been subject to a few headlines questioning his future at Alpine.
When the Enstone team announced he would replace Jack Doohan, it was stated that he was on a race-by-race contract.
In the context of Alpine’s willingness to change drivers, Colapinto immediately found himself under a magnifying class.
The Argentine’s crash in Imola, his first race back in F1, certainly did not help his case.
In combination with the A525’s poor performance, there have been few things for Colapinto to celebrate since returning to a full-time seat.
Despite this, it is important to fairly outline his place at Alpine.
Flavio Briatore is renowned for being ruthless, whether its with his drivers or any other aspect of his F1 teams.
At the same time, it was Briatore himself who fought to sign Colapinto in January.
The 75-year-old could have kept Doohan for the 2025 season, but he instead spent the winter negotiating with Colapinto.
Critically, he signed a multi-year deal with the 22-year-old.
This also involved paying Williams a substantial fee to break him from his existing deal.
All in all, Briatore and Alpine have already invested considerably into Colapinto. Kicking him out of the team before the end of the season would be an unproductive course of action.
Results have been underwhelming for both Alpine drivers, especially for Colapinto – who didn’t not start (due to a mechanical failure) at the team’s only recent chance for points in Silverstone.
Sill, a close examination of the Alpine duo will reveal that the Argentine’s pace relative to teammate Pierre Gasly has actually strong, particularly in the context of his abrupt arrival.
A solid end to 2025 will calm the waters
To be clear, there are never any guarantees in Formula 1.
Alpine could decide that another driver in the market is an attractive enough prospect to offer them a contract.
With that said, it would take a tremendous turn of events to justify abandoning a driver who Alpine spent millions to sign.
Aside from being a young driver with clear potential for growth, Colapinto also brings significant sponsorship to Alpine.
For a team currently last in the standings, this is a valuable asset.
If Colapinto can secure a points result before the year ends (which won’t be easy in the A525) that should silence speculation about his future.
Even with all the noise around Alpine’s drivers, the team at Enstone are aware that the car has been their limiting factor.
Having some continuity for the 2026 regulations, therefore, is a sensible move for the French squad.
Main photo: via Alpine media gallery