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Alpine Weighs Valtteri Bottas for Mid-Season Driver Swap

Flavio Briatore has held discussions with the Finnish reserve driver as the team seeks to shore up results ahead of its Mercedes power unit partnership next season.

Valtteri Bottas of Finland and Mercedes poses for a photo on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari on May 18, 2025 in Imola, Italy.
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Overview

  • Flavio Briatore has explored replacing rookie Franco Colapinto with Bottas after team insiders flagged Colapinto’s growing deficit to lead driver Pierre Gasly.
  • Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged his friendship with Briatore but denied proposing Bottas’s move to Alpine.
  • Bottas, currently Mercedes’s full-time reserve, said he plans to finalize his future during July while weighing a mid-season return against a 2026 opportunity with Cadillac.
  • Alpine’s confirmed 2026 switch to customer Mercedes power units and gearboxes has increased the appeal of a driver experienced with Mercedes technology.
  • Cadillac boss Graeme Lowdon is seeking an experienced lead for the marque’s 2026 F1 debut and has publicly courted Bottas alongside rookie Colton Herta.