Franco Colapinto signed with the Alpine Formula 1 team initially as a reserve driver after agreeing with his previous team Williams.
Alpine has moved to secure the services of Colapinto after an impressive run of races for Williams at the end of 2024. He earned five points in the team’s first four races. The final five rounds of the season were defined by several high-profile clashes, but the Argentine’s potential has garnered interest from several teams from both a sporting and commercial perspective, with Alpine now confirming he will be part of next season’s line-up. Multi-year contract until 2025.
“We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with Williams Racing to sign Franco Colapinto,” said Flavio Briatore, Senior Advisor. “Obviously Franco is one of the brightest young talents in motorsport right now. His appearance on the Formula 1 grid last year surprised many, including myself, and his performance was very impressive for a rookie driver.
“We have our eyes on our future and his signing means we have a great pool of young drivers to work with and help develop the team for future success.”
Colapinto not only impressed behind the wheel, but also provided Argentina with its first race driver in F1 in 23 years and helped flag the significant interest that exists in his home country.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to join the BWT Alpine Formula 1 ride,” said Colapinto. “First of all I would like to thank Williams for all their support from the moment I joined the academy until my last race in Abu Dhabi. They made my dream of racing Formula 1 a reality, and for that I will always be grateful.
“Now it’s time to start a new chapter and it’s a real honor to take on this challenge with the BWT Alpine Formula 1 Team. Thank you so much Luca [de Meo]Flavio and Oliver [Oakes] Thank you for believing in me and allowing me to join your team with open arms. I can’t wait to get started and see where this journey takes us.
“I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to all of my sponsors and partners who have stood with me as I navigated the challenges of the 2024 season. Your support has made all of this possible and I would also like to thank my amazing fans in Argentina. ‘Mujas Gracias!’ Your passion and encouragement means the world to me. “Let’s aim for bigger things in 2025 and beyond,” he said.
Colapinto’s move increases the pressure on rookie Jack Doohan, who Alpine confirmed as part of its 2025 race line-up before Colapinto made his debut for Williams. Doohan raced in place of Esteban Ocon in Abu Dhabi, but Briatore recently told French outlet Le Parisien that he would not hesitate to change drivers if he felt they were not producing results.
Williams team principal James Vowles admitted that one of the reasons Colapinto could leave was because he was likely to return to the grid in a race seat this season or next.
“We are delighted to have reached an agreement with Alpine for Franco to join the team on a multi-year basis from 2025,” said Vowles. “In more than nine memorable races with Williams, he has clearly shown that he deserves a spot in Formula 1 and we will always support him to win.
“Williams has one of the strongest driver line-ups on the grid for 2025 and beyond, including Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. We therefore believe that this deal with Alpine represents Franco’s best chance of securing a race seat in 2025 or 2026.
“The Williams Racing Driver Academy exists to discover and develop future F1 stars, which is exactly what happened with Franco and builds on our long tradition of giving talented young drivers a break at the highest levels of motorsport. .
“I am proud to welcome Argentina back to the F1 grid. I would like to thank Franco for everything he has brought to the team and I look forward to the battle ahead.”
