Franco Colapinto’s future at Alpine remains far from secure, as managing director Steve Nielsen has admitted that the Argentinian driver must continue to earn his place on the Formula 1 grid. Although the 23-year-old has shown steady improvement throughout the 2026 season, Nielsen made it clear that Alpine will only retain him if he proves to be the strongest option alongside Pierre Gasly for next year.
With the team expected to finalise its driver line-up before the summer break, Colapinto has just two more race weekends to strengthen his case.
Steve Nielsen has praised Colapinto’s progress, but says that Alpine is keeping its options open
Speaking during the British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone, Nielsen acknowledged that Colapinto had taken time to settle into the campaign, but said he believes the youngster is now moving in the right direction.
“Well, everyone wants more,” Nielsen said when asked whether Colapinto had already done enough to earn a contract extension.
“I think Franco is a driver who — if I may say so — had a slow start. He’s getting better. He’s already had some good races this year. Miami was good. China was good too. He’s improving.”
Despite these encouraging performances, Nielsen stressed that Alpine’s decision will ultimately be based on performance rather than sentiment.
“Based on his performance, Colapinto is among the candidates to partner Pierre Gasly next season.”
“And when the time comes, we will make the decision. If he is good enough, he stays; if not, there is a better option. That’s just how it is in Formula 1.”
These comments highlight Alpine’s commitment to evaluating the market rather than making an early decision on the Argentine.
Results show progress despite the Pierre Gasly gap
Colapinto has enjoyed a considerably stronger campaign than his previous full season in Formula 1.
The Argentinian has scored points in five of the opening nine races, including a ninth-place finish at Silverstone. Heading into the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, he sits 13th in the championship with 18 points.
While this puts him some way behind his teammate Pierre Gasly, who is in ninth place with 42 points, Alpine believes the performance gap has narrowed in several areas.
“This season he was equal to Pierre in some situations, and that is of course nice to see,” explained Nielsen.
The team’s assessment suggests that Colapinto has shown glimpses of the pace that Alpine was hoping for when they promoted him, although consistency remains the deciding factor.
The summer break deadline is approaching for Alpine’s decision
Nielsen’s comments follow similar remarks from executive advisor Flavio Briatore, who recently confirmed on the Beyond the Grid podcast that Alpine intends to finalise its driver line-up before the Formula 1 summer shutdown.
This leaves Colapinto with limited opportunities to impress before the team makes its decision.
The Belgian and Hungarian Grands Prix are expected to be the final races considered before Alpine decides whether Colapinto will remain alongside Gasly for 2027 or if another driver will be selected.
With several teams still evaluating their own line-ups, Alpine appears determined to keep every option open until the final decision is made.
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He isn’t truly under threat, though, & hasn’t been for a little while, especially since the Miami GP, which was followed by another good weekend in Montreal.
Besides, no definitively superior options are even available, or he would’ve been replaced after last season already.