Fernando Romero Nuñez Argentine race driver Franco Colapinto will drive for the Alpine F1 Team in 2025, the team announced on Thursday. The 21-year-old signed a multi-year deal with the Renault-owned team, joining as a reserve driver alongside recently announced Japanese driver Ryo Hirakawa and Estonian Paul Aron.
“I am super excited to have the opportunity to join BWT Alpine Formula One Team,” said Colapinto in the official announcement. He added that he was thankful to Williams F1 for the opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream of racing in world motoring’s premier series.
“Now, it’s time for a new chapter, and to take on this challenge with BWT Alpine Formula One Team is truly an honour,” said the driver, who was born in Pilar, Buenos Aires Province. He took the opportunity to joke on his X account about the occasion he accidentally stopped by the Alpine box as a Williams driver, saying it was “destiny” that he’d join the team.
Key Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore also commented on the move. “Clearly, Franco is among the best young talents in motorsport right now,” said Briatore, who was instrumental in the development of world championship winners like Germany’s Michael Schumacher and Spain’s Fernando Alonso.
“It is fair to say his appearance on the Formula One grid last year caught many, me included, by surprise and his performances have been very impressive for a rookie driver,” he added.
Colapinto has been linked with a move to Alpine F1 for months, with Briatore speaking on several occasions of his admiration for the Argentine’s talent. As announced, the deal does not yet involve a seat in any Grand Prix in 2025. Alpine confirmed Frenchman Pierre Gasly and Australian Jack Doohan as its two lead drivers for the upcoming season.
However, Doohan signed a contract for just six races, with one of them already completed at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. This has fueled rumours Colapinto could take over from him once the remaining races are completed.
Colapinto’s first F1 experience was positive. He joined ahead of the Italian Grand Prix in September to replace U.S. driver Logan Sargeant, which made him the first Argentine to run an F1 race in over 20 years. Two weeks later, he became the first Argentine to score points in an F1 race since Carlos “Lole” Reutemann in 1982, finishing eight in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He repeated the feat in October at the U.S. Grand Prix, finishing tenth.
Later performances weren’t as impressive, as big crashes at Brazil and Las Vegas hurt Colapinto’s rising image, and forced Williams to run older parts on his car, curtailing any chances of further points.
“It wasn’t the season finale I wished for,” he lamented to Motorsport in December. “Still, I’ve made my dream come true, and it’s been an incredible experience. I would’ve preferred to end it like it started, but that’s F1.”
He now looks set to have another chance to impress at Alpine in 2025.