Overview

• Flavio Briatore will announce Pierre Gasly’s 2026 teammate in the October–November window, with Franco Colapinto and reserve Paul Aron the only candidates.
• Gasly publicly called Colapinto “an option for the team in 2026” after recent events, a stance viewed as influential within Alpine.
• Colapinto has outqualified Gasly in Hungary, Italy and Azerbaijan and finished ahead in Budapest, Zandvoort and Baku, strengthening his bid to stay.
• Colapinto says the A525 was developed around other drivers’ styles, prompting ongoing setup changes as he adapts to the car.
• Signals and commentary include Jack Doohan removing “Formula 1 driver” from his Instagram bio, guidance from Carlos Sainz Sr. to stay focused, and Guenther Steiner’s prediction that Colapinto will begin 2026 if performance continues.