Franco Colapinto will remain in Formula 1 in some capacity in 2025. However, it will not be with Williams.
The Argentine has made the move down the paddock to Alpine for the 2025 season. Colapinto was announced on Thursday as the Enstone-based team’s test and reserve driver behind Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan.
The 21-year-old was handed his F1 debut by James Vowles at Williams in 2024, as he was called up to replace Logan Sargeant from the Italian Grand Prix onwards. Colapinto’s fans labelled Vowles as the ‘literal GOAT’ after the Argentine bid farewell to the Grove-based outfit.
Despite having heavy crashes in Sao Paulo and Las Vegas which cost Williams millions in damages, Colapinto has made an impact in F1 as he scored five points in his nine appearances last year – four more than Sargeant managed in 36 races.
His performances caught the attention of several teams on the grid. Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon denied Colapinto a seat with Williams until at least 2027.
Red Bull were interested but talks calmed down as a result of Colapinto’s accidents. Alpine emerged as the favourite to sign him, with Flavio Briatore reaching an agreement with Williams.
Williams were ‘surprised’ by Franco Colapinto’s commercial appeal
Colapinto’s pace was clear to see as he was able to keep up with or even match Albon’s time in 2024, putting that Thai driver under pressure. But the 21-year-old did more than just bring outright speed to Williams.
Colapinto became the first Argentine in F1 since Gaston Mazzacane in 2001, and his arrival saw him receive incredible support from South American fans and sponsors.
Liam Lawson says his fanbase pales in comparison to Colapinto, stating that his New Zealand following is only ‘5%’ of what the Alpine-bound driver has.
READ MORE: Who is Alpine reserve driver Franco Colapinto? Everything to know
Journalist Ben Anderson says even Williams were surprised by the commercial appeal that Colapinto brought – and it will be key for Alpine in 2025 and beyond as he could put Doohan under pressure to keep his seat this season.
“I can only see this ending with Colapinto replacing Doohan at some point during 2025,” Anderson wrote via The Race.
Alpine is a team going through a serious downsizing, shedding staff and cutting costs, and I suspect the commercial appeal of Colapinto in South America – the depth of which surprised even Williams when it promoted him in place of Logan Sargeant – will be too strong to resist for a team in Alpine’s position.
Franco Colapinto is the third Alpjne reserve driver for 2025
The 2025 season does not kick off until mid-March, but Alpine have already been diving into the driver market to bolster their ranks.
Colapinto’s announcement on Thursday came mere hours after Alpine confirmed the signing of Ryo Hirakawa. The Toyota endurance driver had been serving as McLaren’s reserve driver in 2024.
The Enstone-based team also picked up Paul Aron last year after the Formula 2 driver was dropped by Mercedes in 2023. The sheer amount of options Alpine have on the sidelines suggests Doohan is under serious threat of losing his seat.
Alpine are backing Doohan despite rumours Colapinto could replace him. The Aussie has only competed in one race so far (the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi).
But while Doohan is facing the pressure already, Alex Brundle thinks Aron is hurting the most at Alpine as he has seen two other drivers join the team in another example of how ‘brutal’ the world of F1 can be.
