Argentinas Franco Colapinto confirmed as Alpine F1 driver for 2026

Argentine race driver Franco Colapinto will be on the Formula 1 grid for 2026 after being confirmed by current team Alpine F1 as one of its two main drivers for the upcoming season. “Franco will partner and drive alongside Pierre Gasly, who recently committed his long-term future to the team,” the team said in a statement released on Friday. They added that the decision was made in order to bring “further stability and continuity for the 2026 season.” Alpine praised Colapinto for his “improvement across the season” and developing “a positive relationship with the team and engineers.” The statement also included remarks from the driver himself. “I am very grateful to [Executive Team Advisor] Flavio Briatore and the entire team for their belief in me to help drive the team forwards in the future,” were Colapinto’s words.  The Argentine driver went on to admit he knew his road in F1 would be “long and tough,” but that he was “very proud of the opportunity” and credited Pierre Gasly as “a great teammate and someone I can continue to learn from.” “It is very special and timely to make this announcement here in Brazil this weekend. Being so close to my home country of Argentina and an event that feels like a home race for me, where I have so much support,” he said. Briatore said he’s been “following Franco’s progress throughout his time in Formula One” and that he’s “always believed that he has the right attributes and potential to be a top driver who can grow with the team.” The making of a decision Alpine F1 had hinted at the confirmation earlier this week, posting an image on X with this Friday’s date and asking fans “Have you done the math yet?” The numbers looked to add up to 43, which is Colapinto’s racing number. Colapinto experienced ups and downs since joining Alpine’s main driver lineup in May 2025. Originally signed with the expectation of a seat, the Argentine racer spent the first six grand prix of the season as a reserve driver, with Jack Doohan and Gasly as the main men. Colapinto struggled to make waves in his first outings as an Alpine driver. Struggling to match the pace of the experienced Gasly, he also suffered unexpected problems like being unable to launch due to a gearbox problem in Britain or two extremely long pit stops in Hungary. Although he was initially slotted for a five-race trial period, Colapinto was eventually confirmed as Doohan’s permanent replacement. That didn’t end the hardship, as he was heavily criticized by Briatore in August, who claimed Colapinto’s performances were “not what I expect from [him].” The harsh comments surprisingly coincided with Colapinto’s best performance as an Alpine driver. He finished 11th at the Dutch Grand Prix and only failed to score points due to a delayed position swap order that lost him plenty of time behind Gasly. Since then, Colapinto has regularly been at or above Gasly’s qualification and race pace, something that bodes well for the Argentine going into the 2026 season.