Alpine now privately considering five-DNF F1 driver ‘behind the scenes’ to replace Franco Colapinto if he doesn’t perform

Alpine boss Flavio Briatore hasn’t developed a reputation in the Formula 1 paddock for being ruthless for no reason.

It took Flavio Briatore just seven races to decide that he wanted to replace Jack Doohan after his impromptu debut at last season’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Australian failed to score a point for Alpine, although Pierre Gasly is demonstrating on the other side of the garage that a top-10 finish isn’t a straightforward task in this car.

Jolyon Palmer has spotted a potential flaw in Gasly’s skillset, but he’s still more than talented enough to challenge the best drivers in F1’s midfield in the right car.

The Frenchman has been joined by Franco Colapinto for the last two races, but so far, he’s failed to pull up any trees.

Colapinto crashed during qualifying at Imola which didn’t go down well with fans on his Alpine debut, and the Monaco Grand Prix was another tough weekend for the Argentine.

Although he’ll be in Briatore’s good books for at least bringing the car home undamaged, unlike Gasly, his pace throughout the weekend wasn’t where it needed to be to convince Alpine that they’d made the right decision calling him up.

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Alpine considering move to sign Mick Schumacher to replace Franco Colapinto behind the scenes

Colapinto set the slowest time in qualifying on Saturday, although he started ahead of Lance Stroll and Oliver Bearman due to their respective grid penalties.

Although Gasly was also eliminated in Q1, the Frenchman was six-tenths faster than his new teammate, who got caught in the train of cars on Sunday, led by Liam Lawson who earned a new nickname as a result of his tactical driving.

A report from the Austrian outlet oe24 has suggested that a former F1 star is now being considered to replace Colapinto behind the scenes.

Mick Schumacher has recently been considered by Alpine as a replacement for Colapinto due to his connection to the team through their WEC program.

Now, oe24 reports that ‘speculation is rife’ about a potential return for Mick Schumacher after several years away from the paddock.

The German driver, who scored 12 points in 43 Grand Prix starts and retired from five races, has been eyeing a return to F1 for some time.

‘Behind the scenes’ Alpine are looking at the 26-year-old as a potential option should Colapinto not improve during his initial five-race stint.

Sergio Perez is also an option for Alpine, while many Alpine insiders rate Paul Aron very highly, which could offer the Estonian a potential F1 debut at some point this year.

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Timo Glock says Mick Schumacher is ‘definitely an option’ for Alpine

Schumacher has plenty of backing in Germany to return to Formula 1 after a tricky spell with Haas after winning the F2 championship.

Sauber star Nico Hulkenberg is currently their only representative on the grid and has managed just one top-10 finish this season.

Alpine are currently Sauber’s closest rivals in the constructors’ championship, so a return for Schumacher wouldn’t suddenly see a German driver back at the front of the pack.

However, former driver Timo Glock, speaking on Sky Sports Germany, has backed the 26-year-old and said: “Mick has more experience than Franco Colapinto. He would definitely be a candidate if Colapinto doesn’t deliver.”

“He’s still learning. In the WEC, he’s always the fastest of the three drivers in his car. So he’s definitely an option!”

Schumacher has plenty of people backing him to return to Formula 1; he just needs to be given that opportunity.