How Franco Colapinto can cement his place in F1

For the second time in two seasons, Argentina's Franco Colapinto has found a way onto the Formula 1 grid during the season. Replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams, the team's junior driver was a left-field pick, impressing team boss James Vowles during a wet and tricky Silverstone FP1 session and simulator work.

This time, Colapinto's reappearance felt inevitable after he was drafted in by Alpine as its reserve driver, with incumbent Jack Doohan not shining brightly enough to extend his rookie campaign.

Colapinto has been officially handed five races by Alpine, with another evaluation to decide the remainder of his 2025 season.

Jumping in at the deep end, again, as Alpine scraps for points

While Colapinto's Argentinian backing is a definite advantage, he must deliver on track. Alpine desperately needs results, and as the midfield is tighter than ever, Pierre Gasly needs backup to move Alpine up from ninth place in the constructors' table.

Colapinto must replicate his 2024 form, when he immediately looked at ease with Williams at Monza, scoring four points with eighth in Baku and another point in Austin. However, the opening leg of the 2025 season shows scoring points is incredibly difficult, with the midfield battle decided by hundredths.

Gasly's season has underlined Alpine's struggles, despite having a car with decent potential. Colapinto's directive is to stay close to Gasly and aim for points when the car is competitive.

Learning from mistakes

Doohan's rookie campaign was hampered by errors, similar to Colapinto's momentum loss with a qualifying accident in Brazil and a wet-race crash during his Williams stint.

Colapinto's qualifying shunt in Las Vegas was a learning experience, providing invaluable data he must now apply at Alpine. He has also completed TPC tests with an older Alpine car, ensuring better preparation than his previous F1 debut.

The intense spotlight and fervent support from Argentina, his home country, create immense pressure. Colapinto's mission is to block out the noise and shadow his teammate, focusing on performance.