Alpine replaced rookie Jack Doohan after the youngster had only competed in six Grand Prix. Having failed to score points, he was replaced by Franco Colapinto, who had impressed during his cameo for Williams last season. The Argentine reportedly had been given five races to show his worth. However, he has also failed to deliver a top ten finish.
With only Pierre Gasly scoring points for Alpine, the team finds itself rooted to the bottom of the standings. Flavio Briatore knows he must change this to prepare well for the 2026 season, and is starting talks with a former race winner.
Alpine is in talks with Mercedes over Valtteri Bottas
Franco Colapinto has completed his five-race run to failed to deliver points. In Austria, the 22-year-old had a scrappy race and nearly took out second-placed Oscar Piastri. With the midfield teams mostly picking up points, it was a poor weekend for Alpine, who failed to score.
Alpine Deadline No Concern for Franco Colapinto, Says James Vowles
Colapinto has a highest finish of P13 in Canada and hasn’t looked like challenging for points. To rectify this, The Race is reporting that Alpine are in preliminary talks with reserve driver Valtteri Bottas joining the French team.
After qualifying, de facto team principal Flavio Briatore was critical of Colapinto. He said: “Clearly the car was good enough for Q3, but we are still lacking having two cars up where they should be. Franco was through Q1 but too far away to reach Q3, which we need to improve if we are to put ourselves in a more competitive position with both cars.”
Valtteri Bottas wants to rejoin the F1 grid and has been in talks with newcomers Cadillac for a 2026 race seat. Sources suggest that if Alpine made a concrete move for Bottas, Mercedes would not stand in his way.
Why is Alpine struggling?
Jack Doohan failed to score during six races at Alpine, while Franco Colapinto is yet to finish in the top 10. Experienced teammate Pierre Gasly has only racked up 11 points so far this season, showing the A525 has fundamental issues.
The car has a power deficit estimated to be around 20 brake horsepower. This leads to the Alpine cars being slower in a straight line. Alpine’s ERS is also slow to recharge its battery, meaning the A525 loses pace during the race distance.
This issue is not going to change throughout the 2025 season. Alpine has changed to become a customer team of Mercedes. The silver Arrows are thought to have the best power unit for the 2026 season. If the team gets its driver pairing correct and can create a good chassis, next season could be more fruitful for the French team.
