Flavio Briatore placed ‘great importance’ on retaining Franco Colapinto but for all the wrong reasons

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In one of the least surprising twists on the Formula 1 driver market, Franco Colapinto will stay at Alpine for the 2026 season.

That became clear when other options outside the team’s current pool of drivers were out of contention. Valtteri Bottas was linked with Alpine, as was Sergio Perez, but they both signed for Cadillac.

That left the Enstone team deciding between Colapinto and reserve driver Paul Aron to complete their 2026 line-up alongside Pierre Gasly. Sure enough, Flavio Briatore opted to retain the former.

The Argentine joined F1 midway through 2024 when he replaced the struggling Logan Sargeant at Williams for the final nine races. He was immediately on the pace of Alex Albon and scored five points from his first four events – four more than his predecessor managed in a year and a half.

But soon, rookie mistakes and heavy crashes exposed his inexperience, and his stock took a beating, with Red Bull pulling out interest in Colapinto. But Briatore was impressed enough to bring him to Alpine, signing as a reserve driver before replacing Jack Doohan after six races in 2025.

Since stepping into the A525, the 21-year-old has struggled for performance and remains the only driver on the grid without a point. Nevertheless, Briatore has signed Colapinto for 2026, but he retained Colapinto for the wrong reasons.

Flavio Briatore placed ‘great importance’ on Franco Colapinto’s sponsors – it is the wrong reason for signing him for 2026

When Colapinto signed for Williams back in 2024, it was made obvious that he had incredible backing from his native Argentina. His fanbase makes him a hugely popular figure, and his sponsors from the country not only help him but also his team.

According to a report from Grada3, this is the ‘favourable’ reason why Briatore kept Colapinto for 2026. The Alpine boss ‘has faith in his driver’s speed’, but he placed ‘great importance’ on his financial backing over anything else during negotiations.

Naturally, the Enstone outfit will take any cash they can get, given their poor performance in 2025 and the uncertainty surrounding the team off the track. Following the departure of Renault CEO Luca de Meo, the new boss may not want to keep Alpine in F1 amid rumours of a takeover.

However, the team’s results this season show why Colapinto’s sponsors are the wrong reasons for signing him for 2026. While the car is lacking development and speed, the Argentine’s crashes and lack of results should not inspire Alpine’s top management.

Ultimately, Gasly has carried the team on his back with 22 points in 2025, while Colapinto has not scored a point in F1 since Austin last year. Money talks, and it is important for Alpine, but they should be more worried about talent on the track, and he is not delivering at the moment.

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

Alpine’s engine deal with Mercedes will be a major boost for Franco Colapinto, but he simply must improve

Alpine have opted for continuity with their drivers in 2026, in what will be a year of dramatic change for the team. Alongside the new technical regulations, they will no longer supply their own engines.

The Enstone outfit will become a Mercedes customer team from 2026. There is a feeling that the German manufacturer will have the fastest engine on the grid next year, which will be a major boost for the factory team and customers McLaren, Williams and Alpine.

It emphasises further the need for Colapinto to up his game in 2026. If rumours are true, he may have the engine behind him to start scoring regular points – Alpine cannot afford for him to be crashing regularly and be constantly off the pace of his teammate.

In his defence, the Argentine has got closer to Gasly in recent races, but he must keep up the momentum and turn it into points finishes. Martin Brundle says Colapinto still has to ‘prove himself’, and he will be under immense pressure to do so.