Colapinto joins Alpine as F1 reserve on multi-year deal
Alpine has announced that it has secured the services of Williams rookie Franco Colapinto through a multi-year agreement with the British team.
The 21-year-old Argentine joins the Enstone squad as one of its test and reserve drivers for the 2025 Formula 1 season, further adding to the existing pool of talent the team can call upon for driving services throughout the season.
Throughout the season, Colapinto will attend numerous Grands Prix, ensuring he remains immersed in Alpine's outfit.
He will also share responsibilities with fellow drivers Paul Aron and Ryō Hirakawa in Alpine's Testing of Previous Cars Program (TPC), gaining valuable experience behind the wheel of older-generation F1 machinery.
In addition to track work, Colapinto will lend his expertise to Alpine's state-of-the-art driver-in-loop simulator at the team's Enstone headquarters.
This role will allow him to help refine the team's race strategies and car development while deepening his understanding of the intricate dynamics of Formula 1 engineering.
Impressive From the Outset
Colapinto burst onto the F1 scene with Williams when he replaced Logan Sargeant at last September's Italian Grand Prix and immediately made his mark.
The young rookie quickly impressed, scoring five points in his nine races with Williams – a significant improvement on Sargeant's meager return over a season and a half.
©Williams
Its speed and adaptability caught the eye of the grid, with both Red Bull and Alpine expressing interest in its services.
However, Colapinto's promising rookie season ended on a sour note, marred by costly incidents in Brazil and Las Vegas.
A qualifying crash in Brazil and a costly safety car mishap in São Paulo tarnished his otherwise impressive debut.
Alpine Closes Deal with Williams
While these setbacks cooled Red Bull's initial interest, Alpine remained engaged in negotiations with the talented young driver, and succeeded in closing a deal with Williams.
“First of all, I want to say thank you to Williams for all their support from the moment I joined the Academy until the last race in Abu Dhabi,” Colapinto said.
“They turned my dream of racing in Formula One into reality, and I will always be grateful for that.
“Now, it is time for a new chapter, and to take on this challenge with BWT Alpine Formula One Team is truly an honor.
“A huge thank you to Luca [de Meo], Flavio [Briatore] and Oliver [Oakes] for believing in me and welcoming me into the team with open arms. I cannot wait to get started and see where this journey takes us.
Alpine team boss Oliver Oakes with executive advisor Flavio Briatore.
“Also, a massive thank you to all my sponsors and partners who stood by me through the challenges of the 2024 season.
“Your support made it all possible, and to my incredible fans in Argentina: 'Thank you very much!'
“Your passion and encouragement mean the world to me. Let's aim for even greater things in 2025 and beyond.”
A Vision for the Future
Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor: “We are very pleased to come to an agreement with Williams Racing to sign Franco Colapinto. Clearly, Franco is among the best young talents in motorsport right now.
“It is fair to say his appearance on the Formula One grid last year caught many, including me, by surprise and his performances have been very impressive for a rookie driver.
“We have an eye on our future and his signing means we have a great pool of young drivers to call upon and work with in developing the team for future success.”
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