Why Colapinto has been rewarded with an Alpine extension

Lawrence Barretto reports that Alpine has extended Franco Colapinto’s contract for the 2027 season, keeping him alongside Pierre Gasly. After a difficult start to his tenure, Colapinto has shown significant growth in maturity and on-track performance, scoring points in six of the twelve Grands Prix this season. His development, coupled with his strong working relationship with Gasly and the team, convinced Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore to maintain the current driver lineup as a foundation for the team’s rebuilding phase. Beyond his driving, Colapinto’s ability to attract commercial interest from South America and his role in helping Alpine secure P6 in the Teams' Championship made him an easy choice for the team. With his future settled, Colapinto can now focus on helping Alpine challenge for P5 this season and preparing for the team's rebranding as the Gucci Racing Alpine Formula One Team in 2027, with the ultimate goal of closing the gap to the front of the grid.