Franco Colapinto has signed with the Alpine Formula 1 team, initially as a reserve driver, after an agreement was reached with former team Williams.
Alpine has moved to secure Colapinto’s services after an impressive stint racing for Williams at the end of 2024, when he scored five points in his first four races for the team. The final five rounds of the season were defined by some heavy crashes but the Argentine’s potential — both from a sporting and commercial point of view — earned him interest from multiple teams, and Alpine has now confirmed he will become part of its line-up in 2025 on a multi-year deal.
“We are very pleased to come to an agreement with Williams Racing to sign Franco Colapinto,” executive advisor Flavio Briatore said. “Clearly, Franco is among the best young talents in motorsport right now. It is fair to say his appearance on the Formula 1 grid last year caught many, me included, by surprise and his performances have been very impressive for a rookie driver.
“We have an eye on our future and his signing means we have a great pool of young drivers to call upon and work with in developing the team for future success.”
Not only did Colapinto impress behind the wheel, he also provided Argentina with its first race driver in F1 in 23 years and helped display the significant interest that exists from his home country.
“I am super excited to have the opportunity to join BWT Alpine Formula 1 tam,” Colapinto said. “First of all, I want to say thank you to Williams for all their support from the moment I joined the Academy until the last race in Abu Dhabi. They turned my dream of racing in Formula 1 into reality, and I will always be grateful for that.
“Now, it is time for a new chapter, and to take on this challenge with BWT Alpine Formula 1 Team is truly an honor. A huge thank you to Luca , Flavio and Oliver for believing in me and welcoming me into the team with open arms. I cannot wait to get started and see where this journey takes us.
“Also, a massive thank you to all my sponsors and partners who stood by me through the challenges of the 2024 season. Your support made it all possible, and to my incredible fans in Argentina: ‘Muchas gracias!’ Your passion and encouragement mean the world to me. Let’s aim for even greater things in 2025 and beyond.”
The move for Colapinto adds pressure to rookie Jack Doohan, who was confirmed by Alpine as part of its 2025 race line-up prior to Colapinto’s debut for Williams. Doohan raced in place of Esteban Ocon in Abu Dhabi, but Briatore recently told French outlet Le Parisien that he will not hesitate to change a driver if he feels they are not producing results.
Williams team principal James Vowles admits one of the reasons Colapinto was allowed to leave is because of the potential for him to return to the grid in a race seat either this season or next.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Alpine for Franco to join the team on a multi-year arrangement starting in 2025,” Vowles said. “Over nine memorable races with Williams he clearly showed he is deserving of a place in Formula 1 and we always said we would support him to get one.
“Williams has one of the most formidable driver line-ups on the grid for 2025 and beyond in Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, so we believe this agreement with Alpine represents Franco’s best chance of securing a race seat in 2025 or 2026.
“The Williams Racing Driver Academy exists to discover and develop the F1 stars of the future, which is exactly what it has done in Franco’s case, and builds on our long tradition of giving talented young drivers their break at the top level of motorsport.
“We are proud to have returned Argentina to the F1 grid, want to thank Franco for everything he has brought to the team and look forward to future battles on track.”
