P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Alpine signed two drivers for supporting roles on the same day, potentially opening a door elsewhere.
Alpine made significant driver announcements on a busy Thursday, signing Ryo Hirakawa and Franco Colapinto. Colapinto came from Williams with a multi-year deal to serve as Alpine’s reserve and third driver initially, while Hirakawa joined in a reserve role from McLaren. The team also has former Formula 2 driver Paul Aron as a reserve driver. The January driver signings have added pressure on F1 rookies Jack Doohan and Pierre Gasly. McLaren CEO Zak Brown disclosed Nyck de Vries as a leading candidate for a possible reserve role after his successful 2021 Formula E championship win. De Vries may need to balance this role with his race seats in Formula E with Mahindra and Toyota in the World Endurance Championship, potential clashes could require McLaren to have another reserve driver.
