Flavio Briatore told the latest Beyond The Grid podcast that Alpine is prepared to explore a contract extension for Franco Colapinto, potentially keeping the Argentine on the team through the 2027 season, provided he maintains his current level of performance.
Colapinto entered Formula 1 as a full‑time driver for Alpine at the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, initially covering for the demoted Jack Doohan for five races before the team retained him on a race‑by‑race basis. After a points‑free debut season, the 23‑year‑old has shown marked improvement, scoring a career‑best sixth place at the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix and regularly out‑qualifying teammate Pierre Gasly. His contributions of 16 points from top‑10 finishes in China, Miami, Canada and Barcelona have helped Alpine sit atop the midfield with 57 points after seven rounds.
Briatore likened the growing rapport between Colapinto and Gasly to past successful pairings such as Alonso‑Fisichella and Trulli‑Alonso. He said a decision on the youngster’s future will likely be taken before the summer break, as Alpine looks to cement consistency while monitoring the evolving driver market.
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