Ben Hunt: Why Alpine’s signing of Colapinto makes sense despite reserves

Alpine’s decision to sign Franco Colapinto as its third reserve driver may, at least on paper, seem like an odd deal. But it really means a lot.

Colapinto switches to Williams This was confirmed on ThursdayThe 21-year-old signed a multi-year deal to join the team beginning as its test and reserve driver for the 2025 season. He will also be working in the team’s simulator at Enstone as well as taking part in the previous cars’ testing program (TPC).

The Argentinian made an impressive start to his F1 career last season when he replaced Logan Sargent at Williams after the Italian Grand Prix. Scoring points in his second race in Azerbaijan and a strong opening performance in Austin for the US GP attracted the attention of Red Bull and Alpine.

Colapinto was proving to be not only quick, but also an attractive option as his interest in Argentina attracted the attention of several sponsors. But Williams was already committed to partnering Alex Albon with Carlos Sainz. And a tough end to the campaign ended any potential moves for Red Bull or its sister team, Racing Bulls.

Yet this has not stopped Alpine from reaching a financial settlement with Williams.

The signing of Colapinto makes sense for several reasons – the first being the attractive increase in coffers. Alpine will undoubtedly try to cash in on their wealthy South American sponsors, with Williams team principal James Vowles saying that when he replaced Sargent the phone was “off the hook” due to an inquiry from Argentina about “paying market rate for the stickers on the car”. Was closing from.

The flip side is that Alpine lacks depth in its ranks – despite it having two other reserves. There has been a gap in talent since Alpine lost Oscar Piastri to McLaren in 2022 following a contract dispute.

Ryo Hirakawa, who was only This was confirmed by Alpine just hours before Colapinto’s announcement.He was part of McLaren’s development team in 2024 and will take part in first practice at the Japanese Grand Prix. However, it is difficult to see where the 30-year-old, who won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2022 and is part of Toyota’s World Endurance Championship roster, will fit into Alpine’s future plans.

The team’s other reserve, Paul Aron, had a solid Formula 2 season as a rookie last year and performed quite well on his Alpine bow at the post-season Abu Dhabi test. In the situation after Colapinto’s arrival, the Estonians seem to be the real losers. Aron, who was dropped from the Mercedes young driver program in 2023, There’s one driver Alpine’s team principal Oliver Oakes knows wellHave already raced for hi-tech.

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The final, and perhaps crucial element, is what Colapinto’s arrival means for Jack Doohan. The Australian, who is reportedly guaranteed to start at least the first six F1 races of the 2025 season, will be under immense pressure to perform.

The 21-year-old has only competed in one F1 race – the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi where he finished 15th, and the number remains undisclosed. The son of five-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing champion Mick Doohan was third in the 2023 F2 championship but has otherwise had a mediocre junior career.

Should he struggle in the first few races, Alpine knows it now has a ready replacement in Colapinto, who has nine F1 races under his belt. It may seem difficult for Doohan, but the availability of Alpine Colapinto cannot be an opportunity to be missed.

The assumption is that Doohan will be looking over his shoulder – and that’s exactly how it should be in F1. The situation in Alpine has been very comfortable for a very long time and it now provides some internal competition, which can only be a good thing.

This is the nature of the beast in F1. We have seen in recent years that teams no longer allow drivers to drive in their cars when they are not performing. This ruthlessness quickly resulted in the likes of Nick de Vries, Mick Schumacher and Sargent being eliminated.

In the meantime, Doohan’s future is in his hands. If he has a solid start to the season, Colapinto will remain on the sidelines.

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So although it may seem surprising to have so many reserve drivers on the team, this signing is extremely important. Although Alpine may not currently find itself in competition with the front-running teams, it will still remain competitive internally. And that will only lead the team further – or indeed towards destruction.

The team’s executive advisor, Flavio Briatore, wouldn’t have it any other way.