Alpine has been hitting the headlines this season, but not necessarily for the right reasons. After starting the season with a driver pairing of Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan, it quickly became apparent that Alpine looked to be after something else. After Flavio Briatore’s re-arrival to the team, that is exactly what happened.
A mid-season driver swap, just six races into the season, saw Franco Colapinto come in as Doohan’s replacement. But this inter-team turmoil has excited the junior drivers as they look for their opening, and one Alpine academy driver has outlined his intention, as pressure mounts on Colapinto.
Alpine Academy driver outlines his simple goal
Paul Aron has become the latest driver to be discussed in Alpine’s current second-seat turmoil. With Doohan lasting just six races and pressure mounting on Colapinto’s shoulders after six races, we approach the summer break, and some may be thinking another driver swap is in the works. Enter Paul Aron.
Paul Aron made his F1 weekend debut at the British GP, taking part in the first practice session for Sauber as part of a loan deal between the two teams. He finished 17th, ahead of temporary teammate Gabriel Bortoletto.
🚨| BREAKING: Franco Colapinto to replace Jack Doohan from Imola for the next five races!#F1 #AlpineF1 pic.twitter.com/LiwQ2SrllU
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) May 7, 2025
Attending the Goodwood Festival of Speed for Alpine, Aron told PlanetF1.com, “My goal this year is simple, I want to get a full-time race seat, and I’m not in a rush. I don’t need it this year, but I want it, at the latest, for next year.”
This follows Aron’s promotion to Alpine reserve driver after a strong P3 finish in F2 in 2024. Alpine has yet to announce who will race alongside Gasly for 2026, so it is anyone’s guess, with three names already in the mix.
Alpine still struggling to find the right driver lineup
Since the team’s rebranding from Renault to Alpine in 2021, they have consistently been viewed as a mid-table team. With the odd shock podium result and Ocon’s maiden F1 victory at the 2021 Hungarian GP, it has always been mediocrity that Alpine have achieved, that is, until the 2025 season.
What Franco Colapinto Needs to Do to Secure a Full-Time Seat With Alpine
With twelve races down this season, neither Doohan nor Colapinto has managed a points-scoring finish. At the same time, Gasly has only been able to muster up three himself, totalling 14 points, and leaving Alpine at the bottom of the World Constructors Championship.
They will certainly hope for an improved second half of the season, but the question remains: Who will partner Pierre Gasly for the remainder of this season and next season?
