When Franco Colapinto replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams after the Dutch Grand Prix during the 2024 Formula 1 season, he impressed many with his immediate results. However, as the Argentine driver began to crash more often, the interest of many teams cooled down.
But Flavio Briatore and Alpine were strongly interested in Colapinto and paid Williams 20 million euros to secure his services. It was strongly believed that he would replace Jack Doohan, which he ultimately did after the recent Miami Grand Prix.
Despite being a driver supported by Briatore, Colapinto’s seat may not be safe for the rest of the 2025 season either, especially after a rough debut at Imola. Colapinto's deal was initially rumored to be a five-race contract, though Briatore confirmed that that report was false. However, the 21-year-old’s seat is still not fully secured for the remainder of the year.
Another Alpine reserve driver may get a chance
Paul Aron was one of Formula 2’s best performers in 2024, finishing third in the championship. However, the Estonian driver was overlooked for the majority of the year, given the fact that he was not a junior driver for any Formula 1 team. Having left Mercedes in late 2023, Aron signed on as Alpine’s reserve driver for 2025 this past November.
The 21-year-old has accumulated quite a lot of mileage in Formula 1 thus far, having taken part in private and post-season testing in 2024. While the results do not have much meaning, it may be worth noting that Aron finished in P9.
Aron is likely to get a few free practice sessions later this season, and those lap times could be used as a comparison against Colapinto. Though the Argentine driver is well-liked by Briatore, additional crashes could easily waste Alpine’s budget. The interim team boss will do anything for the sake of the team, and he could opt to have Aron finish the season out alongside Pierre Gasly.
Chances are it could come down to whether or not Alpine can compete with those around them. The team currently sits in P9 in the constructor standings with just seven points. However, P6 is not out of reach, as Haas have just 20 points. For a team like Alpine, that prize money could make a huge difference, as P6 gets $30 million more than P9.