What F1 ‘sources’ are now saying about Franco Colapinto and Jack Doohan’s Alpine futures

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Alpine are one of the only Formula 1 teams left on the grid that haven’t confirmed their driver line-up for 2026.

Pierre Gasly was already tied to a deal for 2026 at Alpine, but recently signed a contract extension, committing his future to the French project until at least 2028.

It’s a sensible move tying Gasly down to a new Alpine deal, as he’s scored 100% of the team’s points this year.

That hasn’t stopped the team sinking to the bottom of the constructors’ championship this year, despite hopes being high for Alpine in pre-season, although it turned out that their car was perfectly suited to racing in Bahrain and has struggled virtually everywhere else on the calendar.

Jack Doohan was initially in the second Alpine alongside Gasly, before being dropped six races into the season.

The Australian was replaced by Franco Colapinto after he joined the team on loan from Williams, but the 22-year-old has also failed to secure a top 10 finish at any point this year.

New team principal Steve Nielsen and executive advisor Flavio Briatore have a difficult decision ahead of them next year.

They have narrowed down their driver shortlist for 2026, although Doohan and Colapinto are unlikely to learn their fate until after the current campaign ends.

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

Franco Colapinto is in ‘good shape’ to retain his Alpine F1 seat for 2026

The report from Formula 1’s official website provides more details about what’s being said regarding Doohan and Colapinto’s futures.

It’s believed that reserve driver Paul Aron is the only other person in contention to partner Gasly next year, despite it looking increasingly likely that a current Red Bull-backed racer will miss out going into 2026.

F1 ‘sources’ suggest that Doohan is ‘unlikely to find a way back’ at Alpine next year.

That’s despite the Australian staying with the team as a reserve driver after being dropped following the Miami Grand Prix, a role he excelled in last season before making his debut.

For Colapinto, ‘sources’ now believe he’s in ‘good shape’ to continue at Alpine heading into next season.

This is down to the fact that the Argentinian has closed the gap in recent races to Gasly, even if he’s not troubling the scorers, alongside being a ‘very attractive’ option for the team due to the sponsors he brings with him.

It’s believed that Alpine are continuing to fall further away from their rivals in terms of performance, with many midfield teams still bringing occasional updates, while Nielsen’s outfit remain fully focused on 2026.

Alpine will have Mercedes power units next year, which should give them a welcome boost, but things have to improve on the track compared to this year to avoid the start of F1’s next set of regulations being a total disaster.

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

Should Alpine stick with Franco Colapinto for the 2026 Formula 1 season?

The fact remains that Colapinto is more than likely to end this season without scoring a point.

Gasly last added to his points tally at the Belgian Grand Prix by sneaking into P10, although Colapinto was less than a second away from matching that feat in Zandvoort, being narrowly beaten by Esteban Ocon.

Alpine staff are very excited about Aron, and although he only finished third in the Formula 2 championship last year, he was beaten by Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar, who have both seriously impressed during their maiden F1 campaign.

It suggests Aron could reach a similarly high level and has done well during his FP1 sessions this year.

Doohan is believed to be interested in a move to Haas as his route back into Formula 1 with Alpine looks to be over.

Whether he can dislodge Ocon or Oliver Bearman is another matter, but he’ll be desperate for his F1 career not to be a difficult seven-race stint split across the final race of last season and half a dozen appearances in 2025.