F1 Future in Jeopardy: Alpine’s Young Star Franco Colapinto Faces Uncertain Road Ahead
In a shocking revelation, Alpine managing director Steve Nielsen has laid bare the precarious future of rising star Franco Colapinto amid a tumultuous season marred by disappointing performances. After stepping into the second car to replace Jack Doohan, who was ousted just six races into the season, Colapinto has struggled to make his mark, failing to secure a single point throughout the remaining 18 races. The Argentine driver’s underwhelming track record has ignited fierce speculation about his longevity in the fiercely competitive world of Formula 1.
Colapinto’s debut season was plagued by chaos, including a staggering five crashes during his nine-race stint with Williams in 2024. While he showcased flashes of impressive pace in those races, his inability to control unforced errors—most notably in Baku, Sao Paulo, and Las Vegas—has raised legitimate concerns among fans and team executives alike. Despite finishing all 17 grand prix events he entered in 2025, the shadow of qualifying mishaps in Qatar and Silverstone, coupled with a bizarre crash during a mid-season Pirelli test, looms large over his potential.
Nielsen, addressing reporters after the season’s end, emphasized the need for stability within the team. “Franco is a young driver,” he stated, “We’ve seen other young drivers go through good and difficult periods – he’s on that journey.” The Alpine boss acknowledged Colapinto’s moments of brilliance, noting that, “There were races earlier in the year when he was a match for Pierre [Gasly], and on a couple of occasions maybe even faster than Pierre in the races.”
However, Nielsen did not shy away from the harsh truth: “The important thing for us is to have two drivers scoring in the championship.” He lamented the team’s struggles, revealing that only one car managed to score points throughout the season, while the second car – driven by two different pilots – failed to register a single point. “We need stability in the second car, and we need to give time for that talent to mature and deliver points for us. You need two drivers,” he insisted.
When pressed for a clearer stance on Colapinto’s future, Nielsen candidly admitted, “The brutal reality is that our car was not fast enough to score points.” He stressed that both current drivers exceed the capabilities of their vehicle. “On the few occasions when the car has been good enough to fight around the points, we had one in Brazil, where Pierre qualified reasonably well and raced reasonably well, and another in Vegas where we were okay,” he explained.
The call for a drastic improvement in car performance is loud and clear. “We need to make a much better car, a much better car, and then we’ll see if the drivers are capable of going with it,” Nielsen concluded, leaving the future of one of F1’s most promising talents hanging in the balance.
As the dust settles on a tumultuous season, the question remains: Can Franco Colapinto overcome these hurdles, or will the promising star fade into obscurity in the unforgiving world of Formula 1? The upcoming season is set to be critical, not just for Colapinto’s career, but for Alpine’s ambitions on the grand stage. Fans and analysts alike will be watching closely as the team prepares for what could be a make-or-break year.
