Franco Colapinto closes in on a 2025 Alpine seat, with Jack Doohan confirmed as Pierre Gasly’s teammate

Franco Colapinto is on the verge of securing a Formula 1 role with Alpine for the 2025 season. After a successful yet brief stint with Williams during the final nine races of the 2024 season, Colapinto’s F1 future is now looking brighter, although Jack Doohan is set to partner Pierre Gasly for the start of 2025.

Colapinto, who replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams from the Italian Grand Prix onwards, made a significant impact in his first appearances. The 20-year-old Argentine scored points in just his second race at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and again in the United States Grand Prix—two circuits he had no previous competitive experience on. With five points under his belt, Colapinto outperformed Sargeant, who struggled to score over the course of his one-and-a-half-year stint with Williams.

Although his F1 cameo at Williams was always expected to be a one-off, with the team having already signed Carlos Sainz to partner Alex Albon for 2025, Colapinto caught the attention of other F1 teams. Both Red Bull and Alpine expressed interest in bringing the young driver on board for 2025. Discussions between Colapinto’s management and both teams took place, but interest waned after a more challenging end to the 2024 season, which included several crashes in Brazil and Las Vegas.

Despite this, Alpine has continued talks with Colapinto, even after it confirmed Jack Doohan’s race seat for 2025. As reported by the Argentinian sports outlet Olé and confirmed by The Race, Colapinto is expected to be officially announced as part of the Alpine setup in the near future.

However, it remains unclear whether Colapinto’s role will involve a permanent seat or a ‘loan’ move. Early discussions suggested that he might join Alpine with the possibility of a recall to Williams if needed. Nonetheless, Colapinto will not take a race seat at Alpine immediately, allowing Doohan to continue his F1 career for now.

Colapinto’s potential move to Alpine strengthens the team’s driver pool, providing them with a reserve driver with F1 experience. This move contrasts with Alpine’s recent addition of Paul Aron, who joined the Alpine young driver programme after a relatively short F2 career, and Victor Martins, another long-time Alpine junior who has yet to race in F1.

Doohan, having made his F1 debut at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in place of Esteban Ocon, will continue as a race driver for the beginning of the 2025 season. This means he will start the year alongside Pierre Gasly at Alpine, as the team seeks to improve its position in the constructors’ standings.

As the 2025 season approaches, Alpine’s driver lineup remains one of the most closely watched in F1, with Colapinto’s addition adding a layer of intrigue to the team’s future prospects.