Alpine have made a Franco Colapinto decision that has left some F1 paddock figures stunned

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Alpine’s decision to continue with Franco Colapinto after 10 Grand Prix weekends without scoring a point has left some figures in the F1 paddock surprised.

Sources have told F1 Oversteer that many people have been shocked by Alpine’s decision to stand by Franco Colapinto.

It’s been a disappointing campaign for Alpine, who currently sit at the bottom of the constructors’ championship.

Pierre Gasly has committed his future to Alpine until the end of the 2028 season, and heading into the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the Frenchman has scored all 20 of Alpine’s points.

A sixth-place finish at Silverstone and a P7 result at Bahrain are the highlights in an otherwise frustratingly poor season for the French outfit.

Alpine have left themselves at risk of losing staff to Cadillac, who are preparing for their debut Formula 1 season in 2026.

Flavio Briatore and new team principal Steve Nielsen still have to decide on their driver line-up for next season.

Colapinto has started to impress staff at Alpine, but many people have been left surprised that Jack Doohan hasn’t been given a second chance after his six-race cameo at the beginning of the year.

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F1 paddock figures shocked that Jack Doohan hasn’t replaced Franco Colapinto at Alpine

F1 Oversteer understands that plenty of people within Formula 1 are shocked that Doohan hasn’t been given another opportunity to race alongside Colapinto this season.

Before the season started, Briatore made the surprising decision to release Esteban Ocon early from his Alpine contract, allowing Doohan to make his debut at last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

However, it was believed that Doohan was only on a short-term contract, and the arrival of Colapinto on loan from Williams only gave the Australian more pressure to deal with.

In his half a dozen race weekends this season, Doohan failed to score a point, and a huge crash at Suzuka in practice put each lap he drove under the microscope.

Doohan wasn’t able to bring the same level of sponsorship or interest to Alpine as Colapinto, although in the modern age of F1, that shouldn’t be a determining factor.

The Australian was 0.367s behind Gasly on average in qualifying, with Colapinto now 0.224s behind his teammate, although if you only judge the first six races of the Argentinian’s time with Alpine, the gaps are far more similar.

Ultimately, it felt as if Doohan never earned the full support of Alpine, knowing that Colapinto was waiting in the wings.

The 22-year-old’s inability to break into the top 10 and add to Alpine’s points tally has only added to the surprise that Doohan hasn’t been given another chance before Briatore decides the team’s 2026 line-up.

READ MORE: Who is Alpine reserve driver Jack Doohan? All to know from girlfriend to dad

Who are Alpine’s options for their 2026 driver line-up with Pierre Gasly already confirmed

Alpine will be delighted that Gasly has seen enough from the team this season to commit his long-term future to the manufacturer.

However, if Alpine don’t give Doohan another chance, then that should increase Colapinto’s chances of retaining his seat until 2026.

There have been suggestions that Alpine could give Paul Aron a stint in Colapinto’s car for the final few races of the season, with the Estonian very highly rated by the team’s staff.

Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez are no longer available after committing their future to Cadillac.

McLaren and F2 star Alex Dunne has emerged as an option for Alpine as his path to Formula 1 is currently blocked by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Colapinto can quieten these rumours by scoring his first points in Baku, but if he doesn’t, then clamour might begin to build around Doohan making an unexpected return.