Flavio Briatore: What he expects from Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly

The Formula 1 stars have kicked off the second half of the season and are making headlines for more than just their performances on the track. More and more drivers are confirming their future plans; for example, Williams team-mates Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz have announced they will remain with the long-established British team, and Max Verstappen has also put an end to months of speculation about his future. The exceptional talent will remain with the Red Bull Racing team until the end of 2030.

All three contract extensions were announced before the twelfth round of the World Championship, and following the race at Zandvoort, another confirmation has now emerged: Franco Colapinto will also remain loyal to his employer, Alpine, and will be racing alongside Pierre Gasly in 2027. He owes this to his performance curve, which is clearly pointing upwards after a difficult year in 2025.

This season, he has scored points on six occasions across the twelve race weekends, with his best result of the season – and of his career so far – being sixth place in Montreal. Following his team-mate Pierre Gasly’s announcement last year of a multi-year contract extension, the Argentine’s deal has now also been extended – though only for 2027, as the 23-year-old has confirmed: “I’m incredibly happy to be able to continue with this team, because I feel at home here, especially after the good progress we’ve made together.”

“There are still many milestones we can achieve, and I know how hard everyone at Alpine is working to keep improving the car. Our goal is clear: we want to win together, and I’d like to thank the whole team and the team management for the trust they’ve placed in me. I’m excited to see how things develop from here and am focusing entirely on my job on the track,” added the racing driver from Buenos Aires.

Alpine Special Advisor Flavio Briatore has a clear objective

Alpine Special Adviser Flavio Briatore explains: “Consistency is very important to me, and we have now found a permanent driver pairing that I’m happy with. I’ve always said that this is an important piece of the jigsaw, but the most important thing is that we develop and build a fast car – and that remains our top priority.”

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And the ambitious Italian makes it clear: “We’ve seen that Franco has matured and developed over the course of this year. His results in Miami and Montreal have confirmed what I already knew: he belongs in Formula 1 and in this team. I expect both him and Pierre to continue doing a brilliant job, and for the whole team to work flat out to make us competitive and take us to the front of the field.”