Colapinto's Alpine Future Uncertain Amid Performance Scrutiny and Briatore's Shifting Statements

The future of Franco Colapinto at Alpine's Formula 1 team appears increasingly uncertain, following a series of challenging race weekends and ambiguous comments from executive advisor Flavio Briatore. Colapinto was brought into the A525 cockpit starting from the Imola Grand Prix, replacing Jack Doohan. Initially, reports suggested a planned five-race stint for the Argentine driver. However, Briatore publicly contradicted this, stating there was "no set limit" and that Colapinto's duration in the seat would depend entirely on performance. This stance was reiterated by Briatore ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, emphasizing, "If Colapinto is performing, he's driving the car. If not, we will see... We're only looking at the performance – nothing else." Colapinto's initial three races have not yielded significant results. At Imola, he encountered issues including a grid penalty for a pitlane procedural error and a crash during qualifying. In Monaco, he was eliminated in Q1 and finished well down the order, partly attributing it to strategy and traffic dynamics, but lacking pace. The Spanish Grand Prix saw him suffer a drivetrain issue in qualifying that limited his running, followed by a 15th-place finish in the race. While Colapinto showed immediate performance gains when stepping into the Williams last season, a similar impact has not yet materialized with the Alpine car. His early performances have included some of the consistency challenges seen during his previous F1 appearances. Alpine has undergone considerable organizational upheaval in recent years, with frequent changes in senior leadership. This backdrop of instability now seems to extend to the driver lineup under the increased scrutiny for results, with pressure from management potentially being directed downwards. Amidst the uncertainty, speculation has arisen regarding potential replacements. While some reports linked Sergio Perez to the seat, this is considered unlikely by informed sources, who suggest Perez is focused on future opportunities elsewhere, potentially with Cadillac, rather than a short-term move to a midfield team. More plausible internal candidates mentioned include current F2 racer Paul Aron or even a return for reserve driver Jack Doohan, who remains under contract. With Briatore's focus firmly on performance, Colapinto will need to demonstrate significant improvement in upcoming races to solidify his position and dispel the growing doubts surrounding his tenure at the French squad.