£4m-a-year driver’s F1 future ‘doesn’t sound good’ as paddock talk suggests he could be out before Belgian Grand Prix

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The 2025 Formula 1 season has reached the halfway stage after an exciting British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Lando Norris defeated Oscar Piastri to take his first home win and cut the Australian’s lead in the drivers’ championship to eight points.

However, it was a much more challenging race for those further back in the pack, and in particular, this season’s rookies.

Oliver Bearman was the only driver to finish his first British Grand Prix, although contact with Yuki Tsunoda and Haas teammate Esteban Ocon didn’t help his cause.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli retired after being hit by Isack Hadjar, who had a huge crash following his collision with the Mercedes youngster.

Gabriel Bortoleto made an error in tricky wet conditions early on in the race, and Liam Lawson was taken out on the opening lap, while Alpine driver Franco Colapinto didn’t even start the Grand Prix.

Colapinto may have made a fundamental error during his pit stop that caused his car to fail and denied him an opportunity to take part in the race.

With Alpine interested in Mercedes reserve driver Valtteri Bottas, noises are starting to come out of the paddock that the Argentine may not even make it to the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix.

READ MORE: Who is Alpine 2025 F1 driver Franco Colapinto? Everything you need to know

Paddock rumours suggest Franco Colapinto could be dropped before the Belgian Grand Prix

Journalist and paddock insider Tim Hauraney was asked on the Nailing The Apex Podcast about Colapinto’s future after Silverstone and said: “I don’t think he’s got… It’s tough to put a time stamp on it, but it doesn’t feel like he has long.

Talking about the rumours linking Valtteri Bottas to Alpine, Hauraney said they were ‘legit’, before also mentioning that Paul Aron could also be considered.

Hauraney continued: “He’s obviously a junior driver, and a big part of what he’s going to be doing is he’s going to be running free practice sessions, because basically Alpine and Sauber agreed on a deal to take reserve driver Paul Aron and put him into the Sauber for some FP1 sessions.

“I think they should kind of get an idea as to what he’s all about. Can he make this step into an F1 car? And does Alpine think that that’s a good idea to bring him over and put him in the car?

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. I really don’t. I think if this is a young driver who you think has potential, you need to foster the talent and give them the confidence and bring them along slowly.”

Reflecting further on Colapinto’s future, Hauraney said: “So Franco had to retire from the race with a drive line issue. So he didn’t even start.

“He was already starting from the pit lane, so that’s basically his weekend.

“And I’m not too sure if he’s going to be in the car next time out. I mean, I’ve heard a lot.

“I’ve heard a lot in the paddock. That’s all rumours. Obviously, people are just talking. But it doesn’t sound good.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Alpine F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Flavio Briatore’s telling reaction to Franco Colapinto’s British Grand Prix crash

Before Colapinto failed to get out of the pit lane to take part in Sunday’s race, he had a very dramatic qualifying session.

Colapinto, who is reportedly on a £4m-a-year contract, went out in Q1 after spinning off at the final corner.

De facto Alpine team principal Flavio Briatore was seen with his head in his hands after Colapinto’s crash, which was the latest frustrating moment from the 22-year-old’s six-race stint in the team.

There’s an argument that Colapinto has been a slight improvement on Jack Doohan, but neither driver has managed to score a point this season.

That has understandably created further question marks around Colapinto’s future, although Bottas is reportedly unsure about racing for Alpine with a potential Cadillac seat on the line.

Aron could end up being the lucky driver who gets a chance alongside Pierre Gasly should Briatore decide to drop Colapinto, and Spa is notoriously the circuit where Alpine tend to make big decisions, with a string of team principals being dismissed at the track.