P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Franco Colapinto is set to continue driving for Alpine’s Formula 1 team beyond the Austrian Grand Prix and his initial five-race evaluation
Franco Colapinto will continue driving for Alpine’s Formula 1 team beyond the Austrian Grand Prix and his initial five-race evaluation, as confirmed by the team.
Alpine decided to assess Colapinto’s performance after replacing Jack Doohan during the 2025 season to determine their driver options effectively.
The team is looking towards the 2026 season, hoping to improve competitiveness under new regulations with a Mercedes customer engine.
Despite Doohan’s early debut in the 2024 finale, he did not score points, leading Alpine to try out Colapinto due to his speed and potential lapse in incidents.
Colapinto has shown promise, despite not scoring points yet, and will continue racing on a race-by-race basis with no new evaluation period set.
Alpine aims to focus on improving the car’s performance rather than changing drivers constantly, impacting Doohan’s status as a reserve driver for the team.
