Overview

• Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore has narrowed the 2026 race seat to Franco Colapinto or Paul Aron and set an October–November timeframe to confirm the lineup.
• The New York Times, in reporting by Madeline Coleman, describes Colapinto as the most likely pick and outlines three requirements he must meet: avoid costly crashes, stay close to Pierre Gasly on pace, and show continued improvement.
• Guenther Steiner predicts Colapinto will start 2026 at Alpine on a trial basis, with the first six races serving as the key evaluation period.
• Reports note Alpine expects a step forward in 2026 with the switch to Mercedes power units as resources shift to the new car.
• Despite Alpine’s poor 2025 form, Colapinto has recently closed the gap to Gasly and logged an 11th in the Netherlands, and he will see out the season while the team finalizes its decision.