Alpine confirm Franco Colapinto for 2027 F1 Season

Credit: Luca Martini / WHYOUT images

Alpine F1 Team has officially confirmed that Franco Colapinto will remain with the Enstone outfit for the 2027 F1 season. The announcement ends months of paddock speculation surrounding the Argentine’s multi-year contract setup, solidifying Alpine’s driver line-up as the sport moves deeper into its technical regulation cycle.

The decision brings critical stability to Enstone following an intense period of restructuring under executive advisor Flavio Briatore and team principal Oliver Oakes. Colapinto made a high-profile move into the team after catching global attention during his breakout stint at Williams. Since making the switch, the Argentine has shown rapid development inside the garage, working aggressively to adapt to the operational dynamic and mechanical nuances of the chassis.

Building a working environment rooted in direct accountability has been central to Briatore’s vision for Enstone's resurgence. Addressing early challenges faced by the young driver, Briatore was characteristically blunt about the expectations placed on both squad members behind the wheel.

"I don't go behind the scenes talking with the press about what you know. I go in front of him and talk about what the problem is," Briatore stated when discussing his approach with Colapinto. "Between you and Pierre, you have a thousand people working for you guys, and you need to respect these 1,000 people working for you."

That tough-love methodology paid clear dividends over recent months. Colapinto absorbed the high-pressure environment, refining his single-lap telemetry and working constructively alongside teammate Pierre Gasly. The dynamic between the two drivers ultimately gave Alpine leadership the confidence to commit to their pairing well in advance of the 2027 engine transition.

"If Franco is performing like he's performing now and the relationship between Franco and Pierre is like now, it's the same we have with Alonso at the time, with Fisichella, with Trulli—super relationship," Briatore explained regarding the decision to retain the line-up. "We are in the moment to technically build up the team: consistency."

For Colapinto, the blunt feedback from leadership served as a key catalyst for his growth within the squad rather than a setback.

"Flavio is very supportive and has been very tough on me at times, but he needed to be tough," Colapinto acknowledged when assessing his progress with the team. "It also depends on how I handle those moments, and luckily, I handled them very well, improved, and learned from them. They were a great help."

The 23-year-old emphasized that drawing on experienced figures within Enstone has become a foundational element of his career progression.

"We all know that Flavio has been in this sport for many years and has been so successful," Colapinto added. "When you take advantage of all his experience and feedback to improve, understand where you should focus and become mentally stronger, it ends up being very useful. Over time, it becomes a strength."

Securing Colapinto’s signature for 2027 provides Alpine with a clear runway as they construct their long-term technical pipeline. With driver contracts now locked in, Enstone can direct its full engineering focus toward floor updates, suspension geometry refinements, and maximizing performance for the remainder of the current campaign.