Alpine have a new off-track ‘problem’ with Franco Colapinto and his F1 future is in doubt

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Franco Colapinto is facing pressure from Alpine to keep his seat in Formula 1 in 2026, and the Enstone outfit are finding more issues with the Argentine.

Since replacing Jack Doohan six races into 2025, Colapinto has struggled to match the pace of teammate Pierre Gasly. In 2026, the Frenchman has finished in the points in every race so far, while the 21-year-old only scored his first points for Alpine in Shanghai.

The pace deficit between the two drivers, notably in qualifying, has been a real issue. Alpine insiders say Colapinto is not on Gasly’s level, and now the team could have a problem with the Argentine off the track.

What do you expect from Franco Colapinto in the 2026 F1 season?

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Sam Bird says Colapinto is being ‘slaughtered’ by Gasly, with the Frenchman establishing a clear advantage with the Mercedes power unit. He has made it into Q3 all but once in 2026, including the China Sprint, while Colapinto has not made it into the top 10.

With his contract expiring in 2026, the 21-year-old is under pressure to keep his seat beyond this year. Guenther Steiner reckons Colapinto could be gone mid-season if his form does not improve.

Franco Colapinto’s qualifying deficit creates narrative ‘problem’ for Alpine as his future is in doubt

Journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm discussed the narrative around Colapinto on The Race F1 Podcast about his qualifying deficit. He says that it could become a real ‘problem’ for Alpine if this form continues.

“I just think, the way Alpine’s looking at it, you’re just going to have a bit of a doubt about whether or not this qualifying deficit can be eradicated,” he said.

“And then the way F1 is, even in an era of yo-yo racing or battery racing or whatever you want to call it, grid position is still massively important, track position is still massively important.

“And there will come a point where the, ‘Oh, if only this had happened, it would have been a slightly better result’, the patience’s going to wear out for that.

Who should Alpine replace Franco Colapinto with if he fails to live up to expectations this season?

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“And I think the fact that Alpine had to put out the statement they did off the back of Japan does point to another potential problem.

“Which is that, if the team has to deal with this massive narrative around Colapinto too often, that will ultimately count against him if it gets to a point of a near 50/50 decision on whether to keep him or replace him.”

Colleague Jon Noble then discussed the possibility of one of the Williams drivers replacing Colapinto, with Alex Albon being more likely: “I think one of those Williams drivers is primed for potentially moving on, just because that team isn’t at the level it was anticipated to be.

“And if you’re looking at hard, fast results, what’s a team that seems to be pushing forwards? Which power unit do you want to have underneath you, what can have decent potential? I think Albon does make a lot of sense.”

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Franco Colapinto from F1 stats to height

Alex Dunne and Paul Aron will likely not replace Franco Colapinto at Alpine

Alpine have options to replace Colapinto internally, such as Alex Dunne, who joined recently following his exit from McLaren, and reserve driver Paul Aron. But Mitchell-Malm says neither of them are realistic.

“In the Alpine mix, I don’t think Alex Dunne or Paul Aron will likely take any vacancy that arises should they get rid of Colapinto,” he added.

“You’d imagine Aron’s in the best place as the current reserve, and he’s had opportunities in FP1 and private testing.

“But I suspect they want to go with someone proven rather than go in that kind of inexperienced direction. Wouldn’t rule it out, and I think Aron is probably better placed.

“I think Dunne’s too much of a wildcard. I think there’s a driver with loads of ability there, but I think he’s too rough, to be completely honest. There’s a bit of a worry that he doesn’t learn the lessons that he needs to.”