The Argentine driver Franco Colapinto will return to compete in Formula 1 with the Alpine team, taking the place of Australian Jack Doohan. His return will take place at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix and he will participate in the next five races of the season, at least in the GPs of Monaco, Spain, Canada, and Austria.
Colapinto will return to the tracks in Imola, a circuit where he has had success in the past by winning in Formula 3 and Formula 2. In 2022, he achieved his first international victory in Formula 3 in Imola, and in 2024, he won the Sprint Race of Formula 2 on the same track.
The Argentine must prove his worth in these five races in Formula 1 if he wants to secure a spot on the Alpine team until the end of the season. His performance will be crucial during this testing period, similar to what Doohan went through previously.
The decision to replace Doohan with Colapinto was made amid conflicts among the directors of the French team Alpine. Flavio Briatore advocated for the incorporation of the Argentine driver, while Oliver Oakes defended Doohan's retention. After the Australian's poor results at the Miami Grand Prix, where he did not complete the race, Doohan resigned and Colapinto was confirmed as his replacement.
Colapinto, who has already tested the Alpine car at the Zandvoort circuit, returns to Formula 1 after his positive performance with Williams the previous season. There, he managed to race in nine races, finishing in notable positions such as eighth and twelfth, scoring points on one occasion. His debut with Alpine will be in Imola, at the seventh event of the championship, which is currently led by Australian Oscar Piastri.
