Alpine has reportedly prepared a new 1+1 contract for Franco Colapinto, potentially keeping the Argentine driver with the French team beyond the 2026 Formula 1 season. However, the agreement has not yet been finalised, with Flavio Briatore apparently choosing to wait and monitor developments elsewhere in the driver market before committing to a final decision.
According to information revealed by Marc Limacher, the proposed deal would initially cover one season before giving Alpine an option to extend the relationship for another year. Franco Colapinto therefore remains firmly under consideration as the team evaluates the composition of its future driver line-up.
Alpine reportedly prepares Franco Colapinto 1+1 contract
A 1+1 agreement would give Alpine considerable flexibility. The structure involves an initial one-year commitment followed by an option for a further season, allowing the team to continue assessing Franco Colapinto without locking itself into a lengthy deal too early.
Such an arrangement would give Alpine control over the decision-making process while leaving room to react if the wider Formula 1 driver market changes significantly. At present, the agreement is reportedly on hold rather than cancelled, and no contract has been formally completed.
The uncertainty surrounding available seats could become particularly important as the 2027 market develops. Other drivers are also considering their options, with Carlos Sainz among those linked with possible movement for 2027, illustrating how one decision can quickly influence several teams.
Flavio Briatore appears willing to wait
Flavio Briatore appears to be adopting a patient approach to Alpine’s driver decisions. Rather than rushing to complete an agreement with Franco Colapinto, the team’s leadership seems determined to preserve room for manoeuvre in case an unexpected opportunity emerges elsewhere.
That caution reflects the interconnected nature of Formula 1’s driver market. A contract renewal, departure or unexpected vacancy at one team can trigger a chain of moves across the grid, making flexibility particularly valuable before the leading seats are settled.
With his extensive experience in Formula 1 negotiations, Flavio Briatore appears prepared to watch how the market develops before making Alpine’s position definitive. That could include monitoring potential vacancies at rival teams as well as assessing which drivers become available as contract negotiations progress.
Colapinto must also fit Alpine’s longer-term project
The waiting period also gives Alpine additional time to assess whether Franco Colapinto is the right fit for the team’s technical and sporting requirements. For a squad attempting to rebuild its competitiveness and establish a more stable structure, its driver selection remains an important part of that process.
Alpine must balance the need to plan ahead with the possibility that another option could emerge and strengthen its competitive position. For Franco Colapinto, meanwhile, the situation remains delicate: a potential agreement appears to exist, but his future could still be influenced by developments elsewhere on the grid.
Alpine keeps its options open in the F1 driver market
Formula 1’s driver market is highly interconnected, and Alpine’s apparent strategy reflects that reality. Decisions over seats rarely happen in isolation, particularly when teams are considering their medium-term sporting objectives, internal balance and technical development.
The fact that Flavio Briatore is reportedly continuing to monitor the market suggests Alpine has no intention of rushing its decision. A 1+1 contract for Franco Colapinto would provide exactly the kind of flexibility the team appears to want: continuity with a driver it already knows, combined with the freedom to reassess its options later.
For now, Franco Colapinto’s Alpine future therefore appears to be moving in a positive direction without being settled. The proposed agreement remains pending, and the final decision could depend as much on what happens elsewhere in Formula 1’s driver market as on Alpine’s own assessment of the Argentine.
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