Who is Franco Colapinto, Alpine's newest F1 driver?
After a disappointing start to his Formula 1 career, Australian racer Jack Doohan has been replaced at the Alpine F1 team by reserve driver Franco Colapinto. The switch will see Colapinto race for the French team from F1's next outing at Imola, for at least five rounds.
Franco Colapinto, MP Motorsport
Franco Colapinto, MP Motorsport
Formula Motorsport Ltd
Formula Motorsport Ltd
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Colapinto's F2 career got off to a slow start in 2024, but his fortunes turned around following an in-season test in Spain. He then picked up his first win in the sprint race at Imola and became a regular challenger at the front.
Williams continued Colapinto's preparations for F1 and he completed FP1 at the 2024 British Grand Prix, which allowed him to get acquainted with the Williams FW46. Soon, he was given the Williams seat full-time after the Grove-based team decided to part ways with American racer Sargeant.
This gave Colapinto nine races to prove himself at Williams, which he did with a best finish of eighth at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. This sparked rumours of a move to the Red Bull camp for the 2025 season, but the Argentinian's inexperience showed with a pair of violent crashes in Las Vegas and Brazil, and this put Red Bull off his scent.
The 21-year-old was subsequently signed by Alpine as a reserve driver for the 2025 season, where he worked in the simulator and stood on the sidelines waiting for his time to shine.
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