F1 | Colapinto leaving Alpine? The evasive answer from the driver – Monza GP
Franco Colapinto finished the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in seventeenth position, closing out a very complicated weekend. The Argentine driver is already focused on the next race, but questions about his future at Alpine are becoming more pressing.
During the Monza weekend, Alpine officially announced the contract renewal of Pierre Gasly. The situation is very different on the other side of the garage for Franco Colapinto. After showing good potential with Williams last year, the Argentine was called up by Alpine mid-season to replace Jack Doohan. However, in the 2025 Formula 1 season, the results have not been coming, and his place with the Enstone-based squad looks increasingly uncertain. At Monza, Colapinto once again finished outside the points and reflected on his race afterwards.
Franco Colapinto at Alpine in 2026?
Speaking after the Italian GP, Franco Colapinto admitted the challenges he faced throughout the race: “It was difficult. It wasn’t very nice out there, a very long and very lonely race. I tried to give my best. I think as a team, with different strategies, but it just didn’t work. We need to keep pushing together, and we’ll try to make up for this race at the next one.”
The Alpine driver also highlighted problems related to straight-line speed: “Yes, the lack of pace. We simply weren’t fast enough.” Despite the struggles, Franco Colapinto set himself clear goals to pursue for the remainder of the season: “I’m only focused on continuing to grow and I try to maximise every weekend in the same way.”
After such a difficult race, it was inevitable that questions about his future would follow. Each Grand Prix now feels like a test for Franco Colapinto, and speculation over whether Alpine will keep him for 2026 is growing stronger. Asked directly, “Do you think you’re doing enough to keep your seat?”, Colapinto gave a very brief and evasive reply without going into details: “Yes, I’m very happy.”
Will the Argentine driver achieve his goal and secure a contract renewal with the Enstone team, or will Alpine look for a different solution in 2026?
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