Alpine boss reveals how Franco Colapinto earned F1 2026 reprieve

Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen has explained why his team is finally convinced Franco Colapinto is the right choice for the second seat alongside Pierre Gasly.

Heading into the Brazilian GP weekend, Alpine announced that Argentinean driver Franco Colapinto will remain with the Enstone-based squad for the F1 2026 season, ending speculation that he could be moved aside after a largely difficult year behind the wheel.

Steve Nielsen: Franco Colapinto became comparable to Pierre Gasly

With Pierre Gasly a known benchmark in the A525, Colapinto’s performances relative to the Frenchman started off markedly off the pace after the Argentinean driver got the call-up to replace Jack Doohan at Alpine after the Miami Grand Prix.

Colapinto had always looked likely to eventually get a shot at Alpine after being signed as a reserve driver over the winter, following his eye-catching performances for Williams as a replacement for the struggling Logan Sargeant last year.

But Colapinto showed little of the joie de vivre he’d had at Williams upon his arrival at Alpine and, after 14 races with the team, is yet to score a point, leading to all sorts of speculation about possible replacements for next season.

Gasly has scored 20 points, but, relative to his experience, it’s worth pointing out that Colapinto is essentially in his rookie season and, to make things more complicated for him, he lacked preparation time as his first time behind the wheel of the A525 was in practice for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, rather than embarking on a full pre-season testing programme.

Relative to Gasly, Colapinto has shown clear signs of improvement as the season has progressed, and this rate of upward momentum has meant that the team has seen enough; he’s secured another chance for F1 2026, a season for which he will have every opportunity to be properly prepared.

According to Alpine’s Steve Nielsen, the Enstone squad saw enough improvement to be convinced that he’s going in the right direction.

“I mean, it’s pretty difficult for any of the new drivers coming in,” he told Sky F1 on Friday.

“We’ve seen some come in and hit the ground running straight away, and we’ve seen others come in and struggle a little bit.

“Franco obviously did some races with Williams last year, substituted for Jack from Imola, and struggled a bit to start with, to be honest.

“Then, gradually, and we’re lucky to have Pierre as a kind of marker, an established driver, Franco was able to up his game and take the fight to Pierre and in a car that’s not as competitive as we would like to, but nonetheless, when you compare them to each other, he started doing a reasonable job and became comparable to Pierre; even quicker than Pierre on a few occasions.

“So ultimately, that’s what got him the seat.”

Numerous names have been linked with the seat while it remained vacant, including the team’s reserve driver, Paul Aron, who was even mooted to get a chance this year had Colapinto’s struggles continued.

Nielsen was open about the fact that, if a driver was available, they were evaluated as a possibility.

“To be honest, we had everybody on the table, and a lot more drivers who have since gone elsewhere,” he said.

“Gradually, gradually, we iterated towards choosing Franco. We’re happy with that. But, I mean, anybody who was a possibility at some stage or another, we considered them.”

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A major fillip in Colapinto’s favour was his commercial marketability, with a bevy of South American sponsors coming on board at Alpine this year; the squad signed a deal with Argentine e-commerce giant Mercado Livre earlier this year that led to special brand activations across recent races in Austin and Mexico, as well as this weekend in Brazil.

“You can’t ignore the financials. Of course, it plays a part in it,” Nielsen said.

“But, ultimately, we’ve got Franco on talent, and the fact that he brings a financial side is a happy accident.”

The Argentine driver’s extension came as a welcome slice of news for Williams’ boss James Vowles, who said he’s delighted to see the driver he saw at his team last year begin to re-emerge.

“I’m really proud of what he’s done – certainly over the last, let’s say, seven races,” he said in the FIA press conference on Friday in Brazil.

“It’s a big turnaround for me. He’s showing the world the performance I saw when he was with Williams.

“I think he’s earned that seat for next year, and I was incredibly proud of him when they announced it today. He’s got such a huge following.

“On the way in here, and I’m really not exaggerating, it took half an hour because there’s about 50,000 incredibly passionate Argentinians. And that’s what I like to see.

“The sport is in a health it’s never been in before, and Franco has this huge following. So I think he’s done it on performance.

“He also does it on what the sport’s getting out of it as well at the same time. So I think he’s got a bright future. It’s for him to keep earning it year on year.”

As for Alpine executive advisor Flavio Briatore, a notoriously difficult taskmaster, he’s seen enough to convince him that Colapinto has weathered the worst of his struggles.

“I’ve been following Franco’s progress throughout his time in Formula 1, and I have always believed that he has the right attributes and potential to be a top driver who can grow with the team,” he said.

“Our decision to continue together for 2026 is a clear indication of our commitment and strong support for Franco as he develops as a race driver.

“It has been a tough year for the whole team, and it hasn’t been the easiest scenario to perform in; however, both Franco and Pierre have done their best to help put the team in the best possible position for next season.

“With the line-up of Pierre and Franco, we have a good blend of experience, speed, and talent that will help drive the team forward and hopefully give our fans something to cheer and shout about next season.”

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