P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Alpine is poised to continue with Franco Colapinto, but there are better solutions to its second seat problem — the team just has to wait.
According to RacingNews365, Franco Colapinto is likely to continue in his race seat with Alpine for the 2026 F1 season. Team principal Flavio Briatore has narrowed down the options for Pierre Gasly’s teammate to Colapinto and reserve driver Paul Aron. Jack Doohan, who started the season in the A525, is not considered in contention. Despite Colapinto’s struggles and Aron’s limited F1 experience, the team seems uninterested in exploring alternatives beyond its current drivers. Colapinto has shown speed but tends to make mistakes due to pushing the limits, as evidenced by his error-prone reputation. Briatore expressed dissatisfaction with Colapinto’s performance during qualifying in Mexico City but acknowledged the driver’s recent improvements and fighting spirit in Austin. The decision to give Colapinto more time could be influenced by the team’s expected competitiveness with Mercedes power, but there are potentially better options available for Team Enstone in both the short and long term, even if the optimal choice requires patience and a process of elimination.
