The driver transfer market in Formula 1 never slows down.
Alpine F1 confirms Franco Colapinto as a reserve driver for 2025 on ‘multi-year’ deal
After a strong debut for Williams, Franco Colapinto has joined Alpine as a reserve driver starting this season
Photo by Joe Portlock/Getty Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
After days of speculation, Alpine announced on Thursday that supersub Franco Colapinto will join the team as a reserve driver for the 2025 season. Colapinto earned a mid-season promotion to the grid a year ago, replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams. In nine races Colapinto scored five points, including a stellar eighth-place finish in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, coming in just his second F1 start.
The contract is being described as a “multi-year deal.” In a statement Alpine indicated that the addition of Colapinto adds “to the existing pool of talent the team can call upon for driving services throughout the season.”
Colapinto indicated that he was excited to take on this new challenge.
“I am super excited to have the opportunity to join BWT Alpine Formula One Team. First of all, I want to say thank you to Williams for all their support from the moment I joined the Academy until the last race in Abu Dhabi. They turned my dream of racing in Formula One into reality, and I will always be grateful for that,” said Colapinto. “Now, it is time for a new chapter, and to take on this challenge with BWT Alpine Formula One Team is truly an honour. A huge thank you to Luca [de Meo], Flavio [Briatore] and Oliver [Oakes] for believing in me and welcoming me into the team with open arms.
“I cannot wait to get started and see where this journey takes us. Also, a massive thank you to all my sponsors and partners who stood by me through the challenges of the 2024 season. Your support made it all possible, and to my incredible fans in Argentina: ‘Muchas gracias!’ Your passion and encouragement mean the world to me. Let’s aim for even greater things in 2025 and beyond.”
Alpine Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore described Colapinto as one of the “best young talents” in the motorsport world.
“We are very pleased to come to an agreement with Williams Racing to sign Franco Colapinto. Clearly, Franco is among the best young talents in motorsport right now. It is fair to say his appearance on the Formula One grid last year caught many, me included, by surprise and his performances have been very impressive for a rookie driver,” said Briatore. “We have an eye on our future and his signing means we have a great pool of young drivers to call upon and work with in developing the team for future success.”
The move comes in the wake of Alpine announcing in August the promotion of Jack Doohan to a full-time seat, replacing the exiting Esteban Ocon. Doohan made his debut for the team at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Alpine releasing Ocon from his contract ahead of his move to Haas for 2025.
Securing Colapinto’s services for 2025 immediately puts a spotlight on Doohan to perform out of the gate, given. Colapinto’s success in limited running during the 2024 campaign.
This is a developing story.
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