Everything seems to indicate that the future of Franco Colapinto at Alpine will begin to be defined in the coming weeks. This was suggested by Flavio Briatore, executive advisor of the French team, who recently confirmed that the team will make a decision about its driver lineup before the European summer break, a stage that appears to be crucial for the Argentine in his quest to establish himself within the Formula 1.
During an interview on Beyond The Grid, the official podcast of the category, the Italian executive explained that the evaluation will continue until the end of August and only then will it be time to decide who will accompany Pierre Gasly in the long-term sports project.
"We have races until the end of August and, before the summer holidays, we will make a decision", Briatore assured, making it clear that Alpine has no intention of rushing and that results on track will be decisive.
In this context, Colapinto seems to have gained ground within the French structure. The Argentine has shown constant improvement throughout the season and has managed to establish a positive working relationship with Gasly, an aspect that was also highlighted by the historic executive. "If Franco continues to perform as he is now and the relationship between Franco and Pierre remains as it is now… why not?", Briatore expressed when asked about the possibilities of the Buenos Aires driver continuing.
The fight for that seat generates special attention within the paddock. With the French driver already secured for the upcoming seasons, the second seat of the French team has become one of the most coveted in the market, fueling rumors about possible heavyweight candidates for the future.
Beyond this, for now the team's priority is to observe the performance of its current drivers. In this sense, the upcoming competitions will be fundamental for Colapinto, who will seek to maintain the level shown so far and strengthen his aspirations to remain as an official driver.
Before the decision arrives, the calendar will still offer several opportunities for the Argentine to continue demonstrating his potential: 4 Grand Prix (Austria, Great Britain, Belgium, and Hungary). Alpine will evaluate not only the results but also the ability to work within the team and the projection of each member of its structure.
When Colapinto returns to race
After scoring points again in Barcelona, the Argentine begins his two-week preparation for his next challenge: the Grand Prix of Austria. Action at the Red Bull Ring will start on Friday, June 26 with the first round of free practices and will conclude on Sunday, June 28 with the main race. In the last season, the native of Pilar finished 15th at this circuit.
