End of the saga: Franco Colapinto has been confirmed at Alpine for the 2026 Formula 1 season

The wait is over: Franco Colapinto has been officially announced as a starting driver for Alpine for the 2026 Formula 1 season, as the definitive replacement for Jack Doohan, and will share the team with Pierre Gasly. The news, long awaited by Argentine fans, was confirmed this Friday, November 7, ahead of the São Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil.

The French team highlighted that the Argentine's continuity aims to "provide stability and long-term projection for the new regulatory era," which will begin next year with a deep regulatory and technical change in the category.

"I'm very grateful to Flavio (Briatore) and the whole team for trusting me. It's been a long and difficult road, and I'm very proud of this opportunity to race with Alpine in 2026, alongside Pierre, a great teammate from whom I keep learning," Colapinto said after the confirmation.

The driver, emotional, also emphasized the symbolic value of the date: "It's very special to make this announcement here in Brazil, so close to my country. I feel this race as if it were at home."

The definitive arrival of the native of Pilar came after a season of consolidation in the top category, after having been promoted mid-championship to replace Doohan. Since then, Colapinto has shown maturity and consistency, avoiding retirements, completing every race (except for his absence in Great Britain due to a gearbox issue) and keeping up with his teammate, even outperforming him in several qualifying sessions.

Although he didn't manage to score points (his best result was 11th place in the Netherlands), his performance with the least competitive car of the year, without preseason and with less experience, was enough to convince Briatore and the team management that he deserved to stay. The Italian executive, architect of his arrival from Williams, backed his continuity despite external offers and the financial weight of the Latin American sponsors supporting the Argentine.

The decision is also part of a broader strategy: Alpine sacrificed part of its 2025 season to focus all its resources on developing the 2026 car (A526), with which it seeks to make a competitive leap under the new regulations. One of the most relevant changes will be the replacement of the Renault engine with a Mercedes unit, which, according to reports from engineers and drivers, would be the most powerful of the new cycle.

Next year, Colapinto will participate in the entire preseason, something he couldn't do in his debut. He will be present at the Barcelona (January) and Bahrain (February) tests, adding decisive kilometers (miles) to adapt his driving style to the new car, which he himself helped develop in the latest simulator sessions. This way, he will arrive at the start of the championship with 26 Grands Prix of experience and a solid technical foundation, a key point to face the biggest season of changes Formula 1 will experience in years.

Alpine's statement did not go unnoticed for its details. It was made on 7/11/25, a date whose sum (7+11+25) equals 43, Colapinto's personal number. In addition, it was published at 10:43 (Argentine time), reinforcing the nod to fans with the numbers of both drivers who were eagerly awaiting the confirmation.

Thus, the story of the young Argentine in Formula 1 takes a new step: from being an emerging promise to becoming a starting driver in the era that will redefine the category, once again carrying the sky blue and white flag to the highest level of world motorsport.